


Dressing Zico

by AmericanNoona



Category: Block B, K-pop
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-05-20 23:32:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 86,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6029632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmericanNoona/pseuds/AmericanNoona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I was on top of the world! My life was perfect. Winning $100,000 on the fashion television show “Gold and Diamonds” was only the beginning. As part of the prize, I was offered a chance to be the stylist for a major K-pop star for three months while he was on tour promoting his solo album. I was going to get to travel, meet exciting people, and get my name out there to the fashion world. It was going to be my job to create a look that would become his brand and make him stand out and I was so up for the challenge. It seemed like a dream job. That was until I realized I was working for the biggest spoiled brat diva in not only the K-pop world, but maybe the entire world!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: I'm the Starting Point of all Envy

I was on top of the world! My life was perfect. Winning $100,000 on the fashion television show “Gold and Diamonds” was only the beginning. As part of the prize, I was offered a chance to be the stylist for a major K-pop star for three months while he was on tour promoting his solo album. I was going to get to travel, meet exciting people, and get my name out there to the fashion world. It was going to be my job to create a look that would become his brand and make him stand out and I was so up for the challenge. It seemed like a dream job. That was until I realized I was working for the biggest spoiled brat diva in not only the K-pop world, but maybe the entire world!  
Woo Jiho, better known as Zico, the leader of a Korean pop band called Block B, was rich, famous, and absolutely gorgeous. He was also bossy, grumpy, and narcissistic. I was nervous and excited to meet him for the first time but by the time that meeting was over, I was ready to go home and cry. I was dazzled by his good looks when he entered the room but he barely spared me a glance. Even when I was introduced to him. He really did stand out amongst all of the people that were roaming around doing various jobs. He was getting ready to do a talk show and my first test was to pick out an outfit for him to wear on the show from the wardrobe that he already owned. I looked around and asked some questions of the staff to get a feeling for the type of show he was going to be on. I decided a dressy casual look would be best for his first interview so I picked out some faded jeans, a lipstick red t-shirt, and a black suede suit jacket. I thought that the darker colors would go well with his hair that was now dyed a shock white. What did he end up wearing? Black baggy jeans, a baggier white t-shirt, and a big brown hoodie. He took one look at the outfit I had picked out and said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even watch the show.  
I went back to the hotel and laid down. I should have been working on my fashion portfolio ideas for Zico’s wardrobe but I didn’t even want to look at it. When he returned I was supposed to have a meeting with him to go over a plan for the outfits for his next few events and to get some of his ideas and give him some of mine so I could go shopping to get the things I needed to put everything together. I thought of begging off sick. Then I sat up and looked in the mirror. I’ve never been one to be so easily defeated and I wouldn’t start now. I beat out twenty other contestants on that show and they were tough competitors. One little pretty boy was not going to beat me! If he didn’t want to wear the clothes I chose, so be it but he wasn’t going to stop me from doing my job! I’m good at it and it would be his loss not mine. I’d just make sure everyone knew that he refused my suggestions so they wouldn’t think I dressed him like a hip-hop clone.  
I got up and opened my portfolio on the table and spread everything out. I looked at the ideas I had come up with and thought, _Damn I’m good at this!_ Then I heard voices. They were loud and getting louder and I couldn’t help but recognize Zico’s as one of the loudest. I rolled my eyes. Then I was surprised to hear my door unlock and even more surprised when Zico came in like he owned the place. _He has a key to my room?_  
“Now to deal with you!” he said.  
 _DEAL with me? Excuse me!_ He walked toward me and I stepped back a few steps. He could be intimidating.  
“I’m not a doll that you can dress up like some of these other little idol boys. I expect professionalism and taste. My album isn’t K-pop and I won’t dress like them. Have you even listened to it?” He kept walking toward me and I kept backing up. I was also a little embarrassed because I hadn’t listened to it.  
“Umm…” I stammered. I couldn’t think of what to say when his eyes were piercing through me like that.  
“Figures! Here!” He flung an Ipod on the bed. “Listen to the whole thing and then we can talk.”  
He pointed at each of the outfits that were spread out on the table and said, “No, no, no, no, definitely not, and nope! If you don’t have better ideas next time, I’ll fire you. Meetings over!”  
With that he turned and walked out.  
I just stood there stunned. _What the hell just happened?_

After listening to the album I agreed with him. It isn’t K-pop and the truth was that some of my ideas had come from watching other idol groups. But now, I had a better idea of where I wanted to go with Zico’s wardrobe. I just hoped he thought so too or I guessed I was going home. I sat down with my laptop and after looking up some things, I drew a new set of outfits that I thought would be better suited to him and his music. I was even going to let him keep one swaggy item of his choosing to use as his “thing”. Maybe we could create that item with his name on it and use it to brand him.  
I crawled in the bed for a few hours sleep and for some strange reason I kept dreaming of Zico coming into my room but each time he was in a different state of undress. Not altogether bad dreams but I’m glad he couldn’t read minds.  
When I woke up, Zico was staring down at me. I was starting to get pissed! “Hey! You can’t just come in here! I don’t like you having a key to my room!”  
“Tough! I have a key to everyone’s room. I looked at the new drawings and they aren’t great but better. We can work with it. Now get dressed. We’re going shopping. If you want to work with me, you need to learn to get up early. I’ll be waiting downstairs. Don’t keep me waiting long!” He left.  
I threw the Ipod at the door and thankfully it bounced off and didn’t break. I was so mad I couldn’t see straight. _Who the hell does he think he is?_ I didn’t want to go shopping with him!  
I got up and showered and dressed as slowly as I could. _No spoiled brat is going to tell me what to do or when to wake up or how to do my job!_  
I angrily stuffed the drawings in my bag after noticing he had scribbled notes on them and looked around to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything in my angry state. Like my pants. Nope, my pants were on and right side out. I went to the lobby where Zico turned around and said, “Women!” and shook his head.  
 _Oh this is going to suck so much!_


	2. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Two:: Take a short break from your busy life (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping with Zico and meeting Vita.

A car ride with Zico at the wheel was like being on a carnival ride. I had thought we would be taking a car with a driver but no. Zico insisted on driving himself. He paid about as much attention to road rules and he did social ones. When I mentioned something about him getting a ticket he said, “So. That’s what money is for.” _What a pretentious child!_  
We didn’t talk. It wasn’t because I was still angry, which I was! It was because he spent the entire time on his phone doing business. I found myself watching him and wondering if the man ever stopped. Or even slowed down. Then I began to wonder why he had taken time out of his schedule to go shopping with me. Did he not trust me that much? This wasn’t part of his job and it was highly irregular. He was such a strange man.   
The first shops we went to were big name, high priced, and carbon copies of each other. We found a few things that he deemed “acceptable” and then he took me to a few out of the way shops that I never would have known about. They were amazing! We bought so many things and I got a thousand new ideas. _This man really knows his stuff! No wonder he wanted to come._   
He was still being a smart mouth and a “know-it-all” about most things but as the day went on, he seemed to loosen up a bit and get a little nicer.   
“Are you hungry?” he asked after finishing his sixth business call between stores.  
“What?” I had been in my own world.   
“ARE…YOU…HUNGRY? Food? Eat?”  
I glared at him. “A little,” I said.  
“Okay then,” he said and shifted gears.   
I squeezed my eyes shut and braced for a crash when he jerked the car into the lane of oncoming traffic to pass the cars in front of us that were actually obeying the speed limit. When the impact didn’t come, I opened one eye and saw that we were safely back in our lane. I looked over and instead of watching the road, Zico was looking at me.  
“I DO know how to drive you know.”  
“You could have fooled me,” I said. I couldn’t help myself.   
Instead of getting mad, he laughed and stepped on the gas. I began to pray.

The place he took me to couldn’t be called a restaurant. It looked like a gas station on the outside except it didn’t have pumps. Inside was very dark. There were tables made of slices of a giant tree. There was also a bar that had the most light but it was still dim. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. A tiny little old woman ran over to us and put her arms around Zico and squeezed him tight.  
“Jiho! We have missed you! Where have you been young man? You wait too long to come in here and it gets longer all the time!” said the little woman in a crackly voice.   
“You know me Vita. I’m a busy boy.” He hugged her back.   
“Too busy to come see old Vita! What a bad boy you are! Well, I’m waiting. Introduce me.”  
“Oh, Vita, this is my stylist Elizabeth. She decides what clothes I’m going to wear.”  
“What? You can’t pick out your own clothes? You are becoming too spoiled Jiho! I’m going to have to make you wash the dishes to bring you back down off that cloud of yours! Well, come here little girl and let Vita get a look at you!” She pushed Zico out of the way and grabbed my hands. Her hands were so soft and gentle. I liked this woman. She twirled me.  
“So very pretty Jiho. And don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” I blushed. “Elizabeth did you say? That’s a good old fashioned name. You make sure you make this boy wear some decent clothes. He tries to dress like a hoodlum and people have the wrong impression of him. Well, come come. Jiho’s table is always ready and waiting for him.” She turned and scurried around tables like a little mouse and we followed.   
Zico’s table was away from all the others. It was in the corner with a seat that wrapped around the wall and had a very inviting looking red cushion. At least 10 people could sit here comfortably. The table was long and highly polished with three red candles in the middle which Vita hurried to light.   
“That isn’t necessary Vita,” said Zico. I could tell he felt a lot of affection for this woman.  
“Nonsense. Now sit and let Vita get you something to eat. What would you like?”  
“Steaks and salad?” asked Zico hopefully.  
“Wouldn’t we all Jiho? But you’re getting spaghetti and garlic bread because that’s what we got.” She started away and yelled back, “I’ll get your drinks and put on something romantic for you two to moon at each other over.”  
“It isn’t like that Vita!” Zico yelled back at her.   
We could hear her cackly laugh as she went through two double doors.  
“I’m sorry about that,” Zico said.  
“Its okay. I like her. She’s sweet,” I said.   
“Vita’s like my other mother. I used to come here and wash dishes for a dollar when I was younger. She wants to get me married off.” He rolled his eyes and laughed a breathy laugh that I found extremely sexy.   
Vita came back with two glasses of what looked like wine. I don’t drink but there was no way I was going to turn it down. _I’ll just sip it._  
She sat them down in front of us and gave me a wink before scurrying off. A minute later, very soft romantic music began playing.   
“Oh my gosh,” Zico said to himself and gulped his wine.   
“I think I’ve got some really good ideas today,” I said trying to steer the conversation to business.  
“Let’s not talk about work while we eat,” he said.  
“Oh. Okay.” I took a sip of wine.   
He was quiet for a minute and then he asked, “So, what’s your story?”  
“Uhhh,” I stammered.  
“I know that you won that show and stuff but what about before that,” he said.  
“Well, I come from the US. I have two parents and one sister and I have always been interested in fashion,” I said.  
“Booooring! Tell me something interesting about you. Something no one else knows.”  
I couldn’t help but be a little annoyed. “Why would I do that?” I asked.  
“Because I asked, that’s why.” He only raised his eyes and looked at me with one of the most sensual looks anyone had ever given me.   
That look stopped me in my tracks for a second and I had to take another sip of wine before I could speak again. _How does he do that? WHY does he do that?_  
“Okay. Any particular kind of secret?”  
“Something sexy. Something worth my time.”  
The truth was that I didn’t have many sexy secrets. I wasn’t completely innocent but I didn’t have much experience either. Then I was saved by the Vita. She came hustling out with one giant plate of pasta and another plate of bread.   
“My goodness Jiho! You drank that too fast. Vita will get you another glass but you better drink this one slower.”  
She turned to go when Zico called out to her, “Bring two plates too Vita.”  
“Hell no! You love birds can share,” she said before she disappeared again with another laugh.  
Zico leaned back and slid down in the seat as he rubbed his face with both hands. “Uhhhhhhhhh…” he groaned.  
He sat up and said, “I’m sorry. It’s okay with me if it’s okay with you but if not I can get the plates.”  
“It’s fine.”  
He tore off a piece of the bread and began to chew. With his mouth full he said, “Continue.”  
“With what?” I asked.  
“Your sexy story.”  
“Oh. Ummm… well, there was one time I skipped school to spend the day making out with my boyfriend who was getting ready to leave for the Marines.”  
“And?”   
“And what?” There really wasn’t anything else to tell. I took another sip of wine.   
“Go into detail. Tell me about the sex. Don’t leave anything out.”  
I almost choked on the sip of wine I had just taken. When I quit coughing, I looked over at Zico’s amused face and said, “There was no sex. I was sixteen. Anyway, I wouldn’t give you those kinds of details.”  
Vita brought Zico’s wine and then hurried off again.  
He had stopped chewing and was just staring at me with his mouth full.   
“What? I don’t know you well enough to tell you my secrets.” I took a bite of the spaghetti. It was so good.  
“No sex?” he asked after he had swallowed.  
“No. I told you, I was sixteen.”  
“So? He was leaving for the military and you didn’t give him anything before he left?”  
“No I didn’t. And I’m glad. He ended up going back to his ex-girlfriend,” I said.  
“I don’t blame him!” he said.  
Now it was my turn to be stunned. I stared at him as he took a bite of spaghetti.  
“I was saving myself for marriage thank you very much!” I said.  
“I didn’t know you were married,” he said.  
“I’m not,” I said.  
He dropped his fork and started to choke on his spaghetti. He took a big gulp of his wine. “You mean to tell me you are a virgin?”  
“Of course not. I’ve had other boyfriends since then but I’m not a slut. I don’t sleep with everyone I date.”  
“You must not date much.” He looked up while taking another bite to see my reaction.  
I didn’t give him one. I was done with this ridiculous conversation.   
“Okay. Then tell me the story of your first time.”  
 _He really is something else!_ “No.”  
“Come on.”  
I just shook my head and refused to look at him.   
“Well, tell me about your kinkiest time. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done?”   
I didn’t have a kinkiest time. I hadn’t done anything crazy in the sex department and I didn’t want to admit it. “I’m not telling you anything else Zico. Stop!” I finished my wine and it was starting to make me buzzy.  
“Fine. I’m done anyway. Let’s go.” He got up and stretched and when his shirt came up I noticed his abs. They weren’t the best I’d seen but I wasn’t going to look away either. I imagined running my hands over those ridges and then I blushed. _It was all the sex talk. That’s all,_ I thought.  
I stood up and started to follow him out when Vita came running out calling for us. “Where do you think you’re going young man?” she said.  
“Sorry Vita. Of course I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye.” He started to hug her but she swatted his butt.   
“You get your skinny butt in there and wash up those dishes Little Woo! Did you think I was kidding?”  
“But Vita! I have work to do.” He looked embarrassed and I loved it.  
“You most certainly do. You aren’t too good to do real work and I think you need a lesson to remember that! You too Missy! Here’s an apron for both of you. You know where the sink is. Now get to washing.” She swatted his butt again.  
I hated that I had to wash the dishes but I couldn’t help but laugh when Zico hung his head and headed for the kitchen. I have to admit though, he was damn sexy in that apron. He was also very good at washing dishes. I could tell he had had a lot of practice in this very kitchen. He knew where everything was and where everything went. We finished up pretty quickly and we both hugged Vita on our way out.   
“You tell that brother of yours to get his butt back here to see me too! Don’t tell him he has to wash dishes though or he’ll never come by! I love you Jiho!” She threw her tiny arms around him and he kissed the top of her head. _Who knew he could be so sweet?_  
We got into the car and he immediately got another business call. We didn’t get to talk all the way back to the hotel so I tried to put some of the outfits we had bought together in my mind but I kept flashing back to Zico’s abs. By the time we got back, I needed a cold shower and some me time.


	3. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Three:: I push through those that are below standards... (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth dresses Zico for three events and then meets someone new!

The next morning, I woke up an hour early to make sure that I didn’t wake up with an angry Zico in my face again. It was going to be another long day. Zico had a television appearance this morning, a magazine photo-shoot at noon, and a Block B thing tonight. So, I had to come up with five unique outfits that he would approve of. I had worked on it some last night so I already had a good idea of what to dress Zico in this morning.

The interview would be on a live morning show with two other rappers that he had been collaborating with, so I decided to dress him in all black with some leather, some denim, and some gold accents here and there. The leather jacket had a big red dragon embroidered on the back and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. His debut song was called “Blood of the Dragon” so I thought it was perfect for him. The “swaggy” item he had decided on wasn’t so swaggy after all. He wanted to keep the gold cross that hung from his ear and I was totally cool with that. It pretty much works with everything.  
The morning was a blur. A flurry of people surrounded Zico at all times and I barely caught a few glimpses of him. I rode with his makeup artist to the station. She was a very sweet young girl and seemed to be as nervous as I was. She told me how difficult Zico was to work with and how he demanded perfection at all times. I told her that I had a little bit of experience with that already.  
At the station I hung Zico’s outfit in a room that had been set aside for him and waited. Today could be the day he fires me. I wondered if that would ruin my career after I had already come so far. _If he fires me, I’m going straight to Vita!_ At the very least she’ll whip his butt! I had to laugh at that.  
The door swung open and Zico came in surrounded by three people who were all talking to him at once. The amazing thing was that I think he was keeping up with all of them. He turned to each one and gave an order and they left one by one. I also stood to go when he said, “Where are you going?”  
“Oh, uh, I thought you needed to get dressed,” I stuttered.  
“Yeah, so get over here and do your job.” He gave me a look of exasperation and pulled his shirt off.  
 _Wow! Talk about beautiful._ I’ve never been one to like tattoos but on Zico they worked. Really worked. All I could do was mumble, “Oh, uh, okay then, um…”  
I began to take the plastic off of the clothes that I had brought when I heard a zip from behind me. _Oh my God! I think Zico just took his pants off._ I don’t know why but for some reason I didn’t imagine I would actually have to dress Zico, just pick out his clothes. I panicked. I picked up the shirt and held it out behind me.  
“What…are you doing?”  
“Here,” I said and shook the shirt at him.  
I heard him laugh. “Elizabeth?”  
“Yes?”  
“Turn around.”  
“Well, I don’t think that would be um… proper. So I’ll hand you the clothes until you’re decent, okay?”  
Another laugh. “Decent huh? I’m never decent.” Zico wrapped his fingers around my wrist and took the shirt from me. Instead of letting me go, he moved closer until my knuckles were brushing his stomach. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my bottom lip. _What is he doing?_  
He opened my fingers and pressed my hand against his skin. He was very warm and his stomach was harder than it looked. He began to slowly move my hand over those ridges that I had thought so much about and I thought I might fall down. When he began to move my hand lower and I felt my fingers go under the waistband of his underwear, I tried to jerk my hand away but he wouldn’t let go.  
“Want me to stop?” he whispered.  
“Yes please,” I whispered back.  
“Then turn around. You’re going to have to look at me sometime.”  
A shiver ran through me as his breath brushed past my ear. _Why is he doing this?_  
“Okay. Let go.”  
He hesitated and slowly let go of my wrist but he didn’t move away. I tried to turn so that I didn’t touch him but he was very close so I brushed against parts of him as I turned.  
“Thats a good girl. Now open your eyes.”  
I did and found that Zico’s chest was in kissing distance. I looked up a little and he was looking down at me. I could feel his breath on my face and it smelled like mint. I didn’t want to look into his eyes so I focused on his lips which was a mistake. I began to imagine him moving just an inch closer and letting me lick those lips.  
“We are going to have to fix this prim and proper problem of yours Elizabeth. You are too old to be embarrassed to see a man in his underwear and sometimes I don’t wear any. And I definitely can’t have a stylist who is afraid to see me naked.” Zico got a little closer to me and I could feel the warmth of his skin through my clothes.  
“Okay Zico. I’m sorry. I can do better.” I still couldn’t look him in the eyes.  
He waited a full minute before moving back. He kept his eyes on me as he pulled on his shirt and I handed him his pants. He pulled them on very slowly and I know he did it to be a little extra mean to me. I think he knew that he made my stomach flip and turned my legs to jelly when he looked at me that way. He took pleasure in it.  
Finally, he was dressed and he stepped out into the flurry again and was immediately surrounded by people. He looked back at me and said, “Good job Elizabeth.” Then he was whisked away.  
I hurried over and shut the door before collapsing into the nearest chair. _What is he trying to do to me?_  
I felt weak and embarrassed and I decided that I wasn’t going to let Zico do this to me again. Next time, even if he was naked, I was going to ignore him and concentrate on the clothes. _I could do that. Couldn’t I?_

I didn’t see Zico again until the afternoon photo-shoot. I hadn’t stuck around to help him “undress” and if I got into trouble, I didn’t care. The magazine wanted three different looks for the shoot, a casual look, a sexy hip-hop look, and an elegant dressy look. The magazine had their own stylist but they said that Zico had insisted that I do it. I don’t think this sat well with their stylist, Craig, because he sneered every time he saw me. The casual look I had put together was a pair of white jeans with peek-a-boo rips all over and a longish red button-up shirt that was so gauzy and thin you could see Zico’s tattoos through it. He would be barefoot so I didn’t have to pick out the shoes. One set was a white room with a big white bed so I knew the red would really make him pop. The second set was a pool where he would pose on a big clear float and the third one was a corner with a black grand piano and I couldn’t wait to see what poses he would do there. Craig followed around behind me, watching my every move and making snide comments under his breath such as, “Amateur” and “Such a fake.” I wanted to smack those fake glasses right off of his face! Every time I would open a bag, he had something smart to say. By the time the photo-shoot was ready to start, I had tears in my eyes and I wanted nothing more than to leave.  
Zico came in and looked at me and then at Craig. “What’s he doing here?” he asked.  
I couldn’t speak or I would cry so I shrugged.  
“I’m here to make sure SHE doesn’t ruin this magazines reputation. Personally, I think we’re in big trouble,” said Craig as he sneered down at me.  
Zico looked at me and it was all I could do to hold back the tears. I didn’t look at him or that would have been impossible. He got dressed and Craig kept making his little comments. Then, just before Zico walked onto the first set, he walked up to Craig and said in the scariest voice I’ve ever heard, “If I see one tear from her, I’m going to fuck you up.” Then he calmly turned and walked onto the set. Craig stood there stunned and actually, so did I.  
I watched as Zico climbed into the bed and the shoot started. He was so sexy. My thoughts kept flashing back to the dressing room and how I had actually gotten to touch those abs. He continued with the three different sets and the poses on the piano didn’t disappoint. I started to lay out the clothes for the hip-hop shoot and Craig started up again. He rolled his eyes and told me that he would make sure no magazine ever picked me up. He kept it up until my spirits were back down in the pits. Once again I had tears in my eyes but I refused to let them fall and give that jackass the satisfaction.  
Zico came over and immediately put his hand under my chin and lifted my face up so he could look into my eyes. It was amazing how furious he looked when seconds ago he had a sultry look for the camera. “You okay?” he asked.  
I nodded and moved away to help him with his clothes. Craig didn’t dare speak when Zico was there so he just looked disgusted with every article of clothing I handed Zico to put on. When Zico walked away this time, he didn’t say anything, just pointed at Craig who huffed and rolled his eyes. I think he was beginning to think Zico was all talk. As soon as he was out of earshot, Craig began his tirade of insults and finally I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I turned around and let the tears fall. All Craig had to say was, “I knew it. You have no spine. You might as well go home you talentless little hack.”  
Since my back was turned and I was starting to cry harder, I didn’t see what happened next. I heard the camera woman yell, “Hey!” and then I was turned around in a swirl. Zico took one look at me and without another word, he threw a punch at Craig. I heard his fist crack against the stylists face and I knew he had broken his nose. That didn’t stop Zico. He did exactly what he said he would do and by they time they had pulled him off of Craig, they were covered in blood and Craig was the one crying. Zico jerked away from the two men holding him and pointed a finger at the little man that was sniveling on the floor. “I warned you, bitch!”  
He turned and pulled me into a hug and I think I was the only one to see the camera woman taking pictures of the whole thing.  
“Do you want to leave?” Zico asked.  
I still didn’t want to talk so I shook my head. I was afraid that Zico was in big trouble but I was amazed when all that happened was Craig was taken away and they cleaned Zico up and continued with the shoot. I listened hard when the director of the shoot came over to talk to Zico in hushed tones as I got him dressed for the elegant party shoot. The director actually apologized for Craig’s behavior! All Zico had to say about it was “No one fucks with my people!” The director muttered, “Of course. Of course,” and left.  
 _Wow! I mean just Wow! I had never met anyone like Zico._

After the shoot, everyone went out to eat except me. I went back to the hotel to lay down. I had come across people like Craig before but this seemed different. Maybe because it was in front of Zico but I was usually stronger than that. I just wanted a nap. I was almost asleep when I heard the door open and I looked up to see Zico walking toward me. I wondered if it was a dream for a second but I knew it wasn’t when I realized he was wearing all of his clothes. He pulled a chair up to the bed.  
“Are you awake?” he asked.  
I opened my eyes more and woke myself up to talk to him. “I’m awake,” I said.  
Zico sat forward with his elbows on his knees. “In this business, people are going to be mean and cruel.”  
“I know that.”  
“They are jealous of your talent and they will do and say whatever they have to to get rid of you,” he said. He grabbed my hand and held it. “If you are going to survive, you are going to have to toughen up. I’m not always going to be around to take care of you.”  
“I know,” I said. I was looking at his hand holding mine. He was petting me like a child.  
“I’m afraid you are too sweet and naive for this business. People are going to take advantage of you. Especially the men. This job only lasts for three months and then I won’t be there to shut them up.”  
“I’m usually much stronger than I was today. I think I was just a little tired. I won’t let it happen again.”  
“I’m not scolding you. He needed for someone to knock him on his ass. Next time I want it to be you,” Zico said as he grinned at me. “That’s why I have set up some self defense lessons for you.”  
“What?” I couldn’t believe he even thought of me when he wasn’t in my presence.  
“Yep. You will start training next week with the same man who taught me. By the time you leave me, you will probably be able to kick MY ass.”  
We both laughed. “Okay, take your nap and I’ll have some food sent up in an hour. Don’t forget I have a Block B party tonight.” He stood up to go. “You did great today. I was very impressed and I looked damn good if I must say so myself.” He left and I went to sleep with a smile on my face. _Zico thinks I have talent!_

That night Zico had an awards show to attend with Block B. I wasn’t going to this one so I packed up his tux and sent it out. He didn’t have any particular schedules to keep for the next two days so I got a short vacation. It wasn’t really because after that he was doing a lot of things and I had to prepare for those. Tonight though, my plans were to take a long hot bubble bath and spend the rest of the night reading a horror novel.  
The bath was so relaxing and it all but made me forget the rest of the day. Everything except for Zico in his underwear. I put on my big soft robe and headed for the bed with my book. I couldn’t resist turning on the tv and checking on how the awards show was going and hoping to see Zico. There he was with the other members of Block B looking like he was having the time of his life. They weren’t going to perform so I didn’t have to go but they were up for an award. I wished them the best and turned the tv off when some girl group started to perform.  
After half an hour of reading, I got a call from the front desk that I had a message and needed to pick it up. I rolled onto my back and sighed. I really didn’t want to get up. I was so comfortable and warm but I was feeling a little hungry and I was very curious about the message. I got dressed and threw my hair up in a ponytail and grabbed some change for the vending machine.  
When I got into the elevator, there was already a man there which made me a little uncomfortable. I’ve always had a problem with elevators since I got stuck in one once. But the man disarmed me with a sweet smile and asked, “Which floor?”  
“Lobby please,” I said. He was really cute and I think he actually worked for Zico but I didn’t know in what capacity. We both got off the elevator on the lobby floor and he looked back and smiled again as we went our separate ways. I admired his backside for a second and then went to the front desk.  
“Hello. I just got a call that there is a message for me here,” I said.  
I opened the little yellow paper to find a phone number that said “Call me when you get this. _What?_  
I pulled out my cell as I walked down the hall toward the vending machines. I started to punch in the numbers but I bumped hard into something. It turned out to be the cute guy from the elevator.  
“Oh, excuse me. I’m sorry,” I said. I looked up at him as he smiled down at me and the ice he was putting into his bucket spilled onto the floor.  
“Oh, oops.” He laughed as we both bent over to pick up the fallen ice.  
“I wasn’t looking. It’s my fault. Let me get it,” I said in embarrassment.  
“Now what kind of gentleman would ever do that?” he asked.  
We picked up the ice and disposed of it and he kept that goofy grin the whole time. “I’ve noticed you around. You’re the girl that won that contest aren’t you?”  
“Um, yeah. I’m Elizabeth,” I said.  
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jong.” He held out his hand.  
I shook it. “Don’t you work for Zico too?” I asked.  
“Yep. You know what? I’m starving. Would you like to join me in a late night snack? I know of a great pizza place around the corner that is open all night.”  
He gave me the puppy eyes. _Not the puppy eyes! I have a warm robe and a scary book to get back to. But those big dark puppy eyes! Damn!_  
“I’m actually a little hungry too,” I said.  
“They have the best cheese bread you’ve ever had.”  
He gave me that goofy grin again and I couldn’t help but laugh a little. It didn’t hurt that he was really good looking.

I’m so glad that I went with Jong. We ate and laughed and talked like we had known each other forever. He was one of those easy people to be with. He had been working for Zico for three years but his real ambition was to start his own production company. He was using this job to make contacts and to learn as much as possible from the professionals. How could I not fall for a smart man with ambition and dreams and big beautiful puppy eyes. That body didn’t hurt either. When we left it was around three in the morning. He had talked me into drinking a glass wine which turned into another and then into four so as we walked back to the hotel I swayed a bit. He put his arm around my waist to steady me as I walked but I think he was swaying too so we swayed together. He smelled so good. I didn’t mind being close to him which was odd for me. I’m not really a touchy-huggy person but with Jong, it felt natural.  
We got back to the hotel and he helped me all the way back to my room. We were being a little too loud but we didn’t care. I unlocked the door and Jong waited for me to go inside but what we saw stopped us both dead. Sitting in a chair across the room was Zico and he had fire in his eyes. His jacket was gone and his shirt was open to the middle with his tie loose and askew. He stormed over to the door, grabbed my arm and jerked me inside. He said, “Go to bed Jong! You better not be a second late in the morning for the meeting or you’re fired!” Then he slammed the door in Jong’s face.  
Zico pulled me along behind him and I tried to jerk free from him but he was too strong. “What do you think you’re doing?” I yelled at him.  
“You didn’t call me!” he yelled back.  
“That was you?” We kept yelling at each other.  
“Of course that was me! Apparently you had better things to do than call your boss like get drunk and slut around.”  
“EXCUSE ME?!!! I was NOT slutting around and I AM NOT DRUNK! Well, okay, maybe a little drunk but that is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! And if I WAS slutting around, that is none of your business either! We had the night off so we had PIZZA! That’s IT!”  
“Do you think I’m BLIND? You were bringing a man back to your room for SOME REASON and I doubt it was for PIZZA!”  
 _I guess yelling is what we do now. I have to calm this down._  
“Okay, Zico. I just met Jong and we went for pizza. He was making sure I got to my room okay. There was no more to it than that. I was calling you when I ran into him and then I just forgot. I’m sorry. Jeez! Why are you so bent out of shape about it? What did you need that was so important?”  
His face was about an inch from mine and he looked down at me for a minute before he answered. Tonight his breath smelled like mint and alcohol. He was gritting his teeth and trying to get his anger under control.  
“I didn’t have your cell number so I tried calling your room but you didn’t answer. I left the message with the front desk. I wanted to invite you to go with us after the show. I knew you had a bad day and I thought it would make you feel better.”  
“Oh. Well, that was sweet. I’m sorry I didn’t call you back. I just forgot.” I really did feel bad even though I thought I had a better time with Jong than I would have had with Block B.  
“I guess I should just be glad you were being taken care of and you weren’t sitting up here brooding. You have to remember what I said about men taking advantage of you though. Jong is a good guy but he’s still a guy. I’m sure the wine wasn’t an accident.” Zico stepped back. The redness of his face was subsiding.  
I refused to believe that Jong was being anything but a nice guy but I just let it slide. “Thank you for being concerned Zico. I really am fine and I’m exhausted so if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to bed now.”  
“You’re right. I’m tired too. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Goodnight.” Zico leaned over and kissed my forehead. Then I watched as he walked out.  
 _Did that really just happen? Why did that just happen? What just happened? Forget it. I’m going to bed._


	4. “Dressing Zico”: Chapter Four: Watching over you from the same spot is the way to keep you without pain... (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zico or Jong? Zico or Jong?

There was a loud knocking at my door. I had hoped it would stop and they would go away but it continued. I pulled the blanket off of my head and tried to open my eyes but they were stuck. Every knock of the door felt like a knock on my head. I never drink and this is why. Hangovers are no joke.   
The knocking was getting more persistent and I was getting mad. “Nobody’s home!” I yelled. Big mistake! It felt like my head would explode. I decided that the only way to make the noise stop was to answer the door. I threw the blankets back and sat up. I still felt drunk but it was just the headache. Standing up, I waited for a minute for my sight to come back and I went to open the door.   
“This better not be Zico!” I yelled. Then I realized if it was, he would just come in. I opened the door to pure sunshine. It was Jong’s smiling face. _How is he so fresh and smiley this morning?_   
“Hey there! I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?” asked Jong. He was looking me up and down and grinning.  
Then it hit me. I was standing there with nothing on but a shirt and underwear. I jumped behind the door and put my head against the cold wood. “I’m good. I just need to wake up,” I said with my eyes closed.  
“I was afraid Zico had killed you. Or fired you. He was pretty mad. He’s such a control freak sometimes,” said Jong.  
“No. He yelled a little and then left. It’s all good. Thank you for checking on me Jong but I really need to wake up and shower and take something for this headache. What time is it anyway?” I asked.  
Looking at his watch he said, “It’s five past one.”  
“In the afternoon?”  
“Yep. Um, I have some stuff to do today but I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight? Around seven?”  
“Sure. Sounds good.” I just wanted him to go so I could crawl back under the covers and wait for my head to shrink back to normal.  
“Okay, I’ll text you later then. Feel better.”   
“Bye.” With that, I slowly shut the door and leaned my head against it for a second. The cold felt good. I went into the bathroom, downed a handful of aspirin, and wet a washcloth. Taking off my shirt, I climbed back into the bed and lay the cloth across my eyes. “That’s better,” I said and started to drift back off to sleep.  
I don’t know how long I slept after that but I felt the blankets being laid across me and I froze. _Surely the maid wouldn’t bother with that. Crap! It must be Zico! And I was laying here in all my almost naked glory._ I pretended to still be asleep.   
“You silly girl,” he said. Then I heard him leave and quietly shut the door. I sat up and looked at the closed door. _Why does he keep coming in here? I know he has more important things to do._ I got up and had a hot shower. 

After working for a couple of hours, my stomach had settled down enough to eat a little something. I looked through the menus and decided on a chicken place not far from the hotel. I wanted to go out to eat since I was getting sick of the sight of this place. I got dressed and grabbed my key card and headed for the door when my cell began ringing. The funny thing was, it wasn’t my ringtone. It was one of Zico’s new songs. My favorite as it turned out. I answered the call to a familiar but unexpected voice.   
“Ay, you hungry?” asked Zico.  
“I was just getting ready to go eat actually. I thought you didn’t have my cell number.”  
“I got it this morning. I need to get away from these people for a while. Meet me outside and I’ll treat.”  
With that, he hung up. I couldn’t believe the gall of him. He acted like he owned us all. I was tempted to teach him a lesson and let him sit out there but I didn’t. I met him outside and hesitated when it came to getting in his car. I remembered the last roller coaster ride we took and I didn’t know if my weak stomach could take another. I looked at him as he held open the door for me.   
“Well?” he asked raising his eyebrows.  
I gave him a look and climbed into the car. _Here we go again._   
Thankfully the ride was short. We went to a steakhouse that seemed a little too fancy for the way I was dressed. Zico didn’t seem to care so I decided not to worry about it.   
After we were seated and got comfortable, I asked, “So, did you apologize to Jong?”  
“For what?”  
“For being so rude to him last night. You did slam the door in his face.”  
Zico picked up the salt and sprinkled some in his hand. “Are you kidding? He apologized to me.”  
“Why?” I don’t know why I was surprised but I was.   
“For being inconsiderate.”   
I looked at him. He was playing with the salt in his hand and ignoring me.  
“Okay, how was he inconsiderate?” I asked.  
“No man should keep a woman he just met out so late and he definitely shouldn’t bring her home drunk.” He licked salt off of his finger. I caught myself staring at his tongue.  
“But Zico, that really had nothing to do with you.”  
He took another lick of the salt which was becoming very distracting and then dropped it and dusted off his hands. All of a sudden, he looked up at me with a serious look and said, “Okay, this is how it is. As long as you or Jong or anyone else is in my employ, I am responsible for you. If something happens to you, it’s my fault. Even if I’m not there. If Jong does something to you, it’s doubly my fault. On both of your parts. I try to look out for everyone who works for me. That’s just how it is with me.”  
“I understand but Zico, we aren’t always working for you. What we do on our off time is our business. It wouldn’t be your fault then.”  
“That’s not how it works with me. Sorry.” The waiter came over to us then and got flustered when he recognized Zico. Without even asking me, he ordered our food. I was okay with what he ordered but I would have liked to have been asked.   
“Zico can I ask you a question?”   
“More often than anyone else I know,” he said while twirling the cap off of the steak sauce.  
“Ha ha. Funny. Why have you been so concerned with what happens with me? You have a lot of people working for you. Am I the least competent or something?”  
He didn’t answer right away. He dabbed the sauce with his finger and licked it. _That tongue again._  
“No. I think I see something in you. A passion. I remember what it was like starting out and how often I was cheated and people took advantage of me. I want things to go easier for you. I don’t really know why but I feel protective of you. You have talent and a good eye. That shouldn’t be wasted and you definitely shouldn’t quit because of bastards like yesterday.” He took another lick of the sauce from his finger.  
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you Zico.”  
“Now, damn it, stop making it so hard for me!” He looked up in that sexy way he has and smiled.  
I melted.   
We discussed his upcoming events and what he would like to wear. I mentally put together outfits until the steaks came and then we got quiet. Zico sure was a steak boy. He didn’t eat his steak. He attacked it. I liked watching him eat. Everything he did was done with aggression. He never did things halfway. We were waiting on dessert which I honestly didn’t think I could eat but Zico insisted. My stomach still felt a little sour and the headache was threatening to come back. I think he was punishing me for getting drunk.  
My phone rang and Zico’s song began to play. I looked at him for permission to answer it and he just waved his hand in my direction. I didn’t recognize the number.   
“Hello?” I answered.  
“Hey! I just wanted to call and make sure you remembered our date tonight.”  
I didn’t. “Who is this?” I asked. Zico looked up at me and became interested.  
There was silence for a second then, “It’s Jong. We are supposed to go to dinner tonight, remember?”  
I hadn’t. “Oh, yeah! Sorry. I was still half asleep this morning when you came by.”  
“So, seven then?” he asked.  
“Well, can we make it eight? That would be better for me.” Zico raised his eyebrows at me.  
“Of course. Want me to come to your room or do you want to meet me in the lobby?”   
I looked at Zico. He had sat back and had his arms crossed. “The lobby will be good. I’ll see you then Jong. Bye.” I hurried up and hung up.  
“Jong huh? Going out?” asked Zico.  
“Yeah. I forgot. He came by this morning and asked me to dinner but I had such a bad headache I didn’t remember.” I took a drink of my soda and hoped that the conversation would end there. No such luck.  
“Is that why you were in your underwear when I came by?”  
“Zico! How would you know that?”  
“How do you think? And why does pretty boy have your cell number and I don’t? I’m your freaking boss!” He was getting angry.  
I glared at him. I noticed I had also sat back and crossed my arms to mirror him. “For your information, I gave Jong my number last night. And you are going to have to quit coming into my room whenever you want. One of these days you’re going to walk in on something more private than me in my underwear!”  
“Like you fucking Jong?” Zico said.  
“ZICO!” I stood up and my chair fell over. The entire restaurant was silent and all eyes were on us. I picked up my fork and threw it at him and walked out. Behind me I heard, “Elizabeth!” and I knew he was following me.   
“Elizabeth. I’m sorry.” He caught up with me on the sidewalk. “I was out of line.”  
I was crying. I couldn’t help it. He tried to pull me into a hug but I wasn’t having that. Not after what he said. I started walking down the sidewalk and he followed, pulling on my sweater.   
“STOP!” he yelled.  
I did but I didn’t turn around.  
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that but I know Jong. Every time a pretty girl starts working for me, he goes for her. He likes the chase. Then when he gets what he wants, he loses interest. You’re just a conquest for him and you deserve better. Can’t you tell a predator when you see one?” Zico sounded desperate.  
I turned to face him, still crying. “I told you I don’t sleep around. So what if he’s after one thing? ALL men are after one thing! It doesn’t mean he’s gonna get it! Not from me.”  
“I’m not saying you’re a slut. I’m not saying that. But I can tell that you like him and he’s very good at getting girls into bed.” His voice was almost down to a whisper.  
“Not this one.” I turned and continued to walk.  
“Elizabeth! Get in the car.”  
I ignored him.   
Zico ended up driving right beside me all the way back to the hotel. If I wasn’t so mad it may have been funny. I went to my room and not only locked the main lock but the chain lock too. He wasn’t coming waltzing in here tonight.   
He opened the door and finding it double locked, he yelled through the crack, “Elizabeth! Let me in!”  
“Go away Zico!”  
“Open this damn door!”  
“I have nothing to say to you tonight!” We were back to yelling.  
“I’ll fire you! Is that what you want?”  
“Go AHEAD!”   
“FINE! YOU’RE FIRED! DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU! ARE! FIRED!” He yelled louder.  
“I’LL START PACKING! NOW GO AWAY!”  
The door shut and I threw my book at it. Hard. Instead of crying I screamed. And pulled at my hair. I was so mad!  
I pulled down the blankets on my bed and climbed under. I was not leaving here for the rest of the night! I pulled them over my head. That’s when I heard Zico’s stupid song start playing. It was my cell phone. I stuck my lips out from under the blankets and yelled, “I’m not answering that Zico!” It rang a few more times and then he got the message and gave up.  
I got bored after a little while of hiding under the blankets so I reached a hand out and grabbed the remote and my laptop. I played games and watched dumb sitcoms for hours. When my phone began to ring again, I ignored it.   
It eventually stopped. But then it started again. It rang three more times and I realized the only way to shut him up was to cut off my phone. I threw the blankets off and grabbed the phone. Just as I started to turn it off, it began to ring again. “SHUT THE HELL UP ZICO!” I yelled at the phone but I noticed that it was Jong’s number. _Craaaaaaap!_ I had forgotten about him.   
“Hello?” I tried to sound composed but I didn’t do a very good job of it.  
“Hey there. I’m in the lobby. Um… are you okay?” he asked.  
“I’m fine. I’m sorry Jong. Something has come up and I can’t make it. Can we do it another night?” I thought about what Zico said about him being a player. But he was so sweet.  
“Oh. Okay then. Everything’s alright isn’t it? Do you need help with anything?”  
“No, no. Zico gave me work to do. You know him! I’ll let you know something later. Okay?”  
“Sure. I’ll look forward to it. I love hearing your voice so call me whenever you want. Goodnight.”   
“Night.” We hung up. I felt so bad. I changed my ringtone and looked at Jong’s number again. _Why should I let Zico ruin the rest of my night?_   
I pushed the call button under Jong’s number.  
“Hello beautiful. That was fast. Miss me?” _Maybe Jong really is just a player._   
“Actually, I can do this work later tonight. Let’s go eat. I’m starving,” I lied.  
“I’m still in the lobby.”  
“I need to get ready. Can you come up here to get me?”  
“I’ll be right there. Bye.”  
“Bye.” We hung up. He can just wait in my room while I get ready.  
 _Take that Zico!_

I opened the door and Jong looked amazing! Black silk shirt, black pressed slacks, and a black tie. His hair was sexily tousled and he smelled expensive. I rethought what I was going to wear the instant I saw him.   
“Wow! You look great! Where are we going?” I asked, letting him in. I forgot the room was a mess where I had been throwing things and he definitely noticed.   
“My favorite restaurant. Is Italian okay with you? I should have asked,” he said.  
“It’s perfect. Make yourself at home and I’ll be out in a minute,” I said as I picked up the book and laid it aside.   
I went into the bathroom and groaned when I saw my appearance in the mirror. I got ready in a flurry and decided on a soft blue dress and heels. When I stepped out, Jong was slumped down in the chair chewing on his thumb and looking like a model. He stood up and took my hand to twirl me around.   
“Wow is right! If I had known this was what I was getting, I would have been more insistent during the first call!” _Yep, a player._   
He opened the door and let me go first.   
His car matched him. It was sleek and black and very impressive. He was also a much safer driver than Zico. We arrived at the restaurant and he opened the car door and held the restaurant door for me. He was such a gentleman. We went in and were seated and Jong grabbed my hand.  
“I love your hands. They are so small and soft.” He continued to hold onto me as he looked around the restaurant and said, “So what do you think? I love this place.”  
“It’s very nice. But what really matters is the food,” I said and winked.  
“Oh my gosh! You have to try the Spaghetti alle vongole. It is the best dish they make.”  
“That sounds expensive. What is it?” I asked.   
“It’s Spaghetti and clams. And let me worry about the expense,” He was still holding onto my hand.  
“I’m allergic to shellfish. Sorry,” I lied. I didn’t want Jong spending a lot on me so he didn’t have a reason to think I owed him anything.   
“That’s okay. You can order whatever you’d like.” Jong smiled which only made him more gorgeous.  
“You mean I can order my own food?” I asked as a joke. He didn’t get it.  
“Of course silly.” I thought back to when Zico had called me a silly girl this morning when he thought I was asleep.  
I ordered the cheapest meal on the menu and declined the wine. The date was nice but I kept thinking back to lunch with Zico. Jong picked at his food and used his napkin and was nothing at all like Zico. _Stop that!_   
We finished the meal and Jong insisted on taking me to a club. I had never been to a club before and I wasn’t sure what to expect.   
“I’m a little nervous Jong. I’m not much of a party person and I don’t know how to dance.”  
“Just stay close to me. I’ll take care of you.” He reached over and put his hand on my knee and left it there until he had to shift gears.  
The club was loud and packed. There was no way to cross the room without rubbing against everyone we passed. Strobe lights were flashing with the music and I was sure everyone here, but me, was at some level of drunk. Some of these people seemed to know Jong and were glad to see that he was here.   
Jong had put his arm around me from behind the minute we entered and he hadn’t let go yet. He led me to the middle where there was more room, but not much, and turned me around. He pulled me into him and began to sway. His face was close enough to mine to kiss me but he didn’t. He kept whispering in my ear. “You are so beautiful.” “You smell like Heaven.” “You turn me on so much.”  
I didn’t say anything. I was very uncomfortable and I just wanted to leave. He turned me back around and, with his arm around me, he led me to the bar. We sat down and he ordered two drinks with dirty names and then smiled at me.  
“I don’t drink,” I said.  
“What?” He almost yelled into my ear.  
“I. Don’t. Drink,” I yelled back.  
“Now I know for a fact that isn’t true,” he said with a smile and a wink.  
“Last night was a mistake!” I yelled.  
“You’ll like this. It’s tropical,” he said and handed me a very pretty blue drink with fruit in it.   
He downed his but I just stirred mine with the little blue straw.  
All of a sudden, someone smacked the bar in front of me from my left and I jumped. I looked over and standing an inch from me was Zico.  
“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” he yelled into my left ear.  
 _What in the hell is he doing here?_ “Why’s that?” I yelled back.  
“That drink will land you on your back faster than a tackle from a football player,” he said.   
I was tempted to drink it all right in front of his face but I looked over at Jong who hadn’t noticed Zico yet, and thought better of it.   
“I wasn’t going to. What are you doing here?” I yelled.  
“I told you, I know Jong! He’s predictable. Want to know what happens next?”   
“No thank you!” I almost forgot and took a sip of the drink but Zico took it from me and sat it on the bar.  
“You sure? It’s really sexy!” He was taunting me.   
“I’m sure. I’ll find out for myself!” He was NOT winning this one.   
Zico frowned and took a sip of his own drink. “Don’t forget the condoms! Jong doesn’t like them but I really don’t want to work with a stylist with an STD!”  
I gave him an angry look and reached for the drink in defiance. He grabbed it first and put it out of my reach.   
“I don’t work for you anymore. Remember?” I yelled.  
“Well, somebody has to play around with my clothes and since you’re already here it might as well be you.” He took another sip but he never took his eyes off of me.   
Finally Jong remembered I was there. He had been talking to someone else but now he turned to me and grabbed my knee again. This time his hand traveled up my thigh. I looked over at Zico but he was gone. So was my drink.  
“You don’t look like you’re having much fun. I’m sorry.”  
“No, it’s great! I’m just not used to all this. I come from a small town and we don’t have clubs and fancy restaurants,” I said.  
“I want to spoil you! I want to show you everything,” he said as his hand massaged my leg. “Come on. A few more dances and then I’ll take you home.”  
He pulled me back onto the floor and this time as we swayed, he began kissing and licking my neck. His hand moved around to my backside and one of his legs moved in between mine. I tried to push him away where I could but in this suffocating crowd it was almost impossible. Jong was getting so close that I was leaning away from him and my head fell back. That’s when I saw Zico on the balcony watching us. I watched as he pulled out his cell phone and began to text. He put his phone back up and continued to stare at us.   
“Jong,” I yelled as I forced him away from me. “Can we go now? I’m feeling sick.”  
“Okay.” He turned me around and wrapped his arm around me as he pushed our way out of the club. When we got outside, he gave the ticket to the valet and we waited for the car. He was still being handsy but he stopped when he checked his phone and began to read a text he had gotten.   
“Man!” he said frustrated.  
“What is it?” I asked as I looked over at his phone. I had a feeling I knew who it was from.  
“Zico! He wants a meeting tonight. Sometimes he drives me crazy!”   
When the car came, Jong helped me in and then drove me back to the hotel. “I’ll walk you up,” he said.  
“You don’t have to,” I said.  
“I insist. He smiled down at me.  
In the elevator, he nuzzled my neck until an elderly couple got on. Then when I got to my door, I unlocked it and turned to thank him when all of a sudden, he shoved me against the wall and began kissing me. To be honest he wasn’t that great of a kisser. He was closer to me now than we were in the club. He pulled away breathless and put his forehead against mine and said, “I really wish I could stay. Sometimes I wish I could tell Zico where to shove his meetings. Thank you for going out tonight. I had a great time. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Before I could speak, he kissed me again and then left. All I could think after that was that that fruity drink really did taste good. I turned to lock the door and I found that the chain lock had been removed. _Zico!_  
All I wanted was a hot shower and some more aspirin. I needed to get the feeling of Jong off of me and my headache really was coming back.  
I got ready and by the time I got into the bed, I felt better. I had lost the place in my book so I decided to watch some tv. I became engrossed in a romantic comedy and just as it ended, the lock on my door clicked and Zico walked in. I know the look that I gave him said everything I wanted to say.  
“Ay. Are you okay?” he asked.  
“I’m great except someone removed my lock. Know anything about that?”  
“You didn’t need it. I’m glad to see you’re alone tonight.”  
“You knew I would be,” I said.  
“Yeah, I did. And you’re welcome,” he said as he pulled a chair over by the bed.   
“For what?” I asked.  
“For keeping you from getting pregnant, that’s what,” he said. Zico took the remote out of my hands and changed the channel. I jerked it away from him and changed it back.   
“What makes you think we didn’t do anything?” I asked.  
“Because, when Jong got to the meeting, he was about to blow. He could barely sit in his seat. It was awesome!”  
“Maybe he’s coming back,” I said.  
“I don’t think so. He’s too busy. I made sure of it.”  
Zico stood up to go. “Don’t make any plans for tomorrow. I might need you.” Then he walked over to the door, rubbed the door where the chain lock had been, and smiled at me. I looked for something to throw.   
“Goodnight. Sleep well.” And he was gone.  
I turned off the tv and turned over in a huff. I thought of Jong and how close I had come to being his next conquest. _Thank you Zico. And Goodnight._


	5. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Five: Looking at your face, it looks like the end of the world. 18+

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forgiveness, a Date, and Kisses! Lots of Kisses!

The next morning, I woke up to another Zico song coming from my phone. This time it was a text message from Jong. I realized also that his name didn’t come up so Zico must have come in some time while I was asleep, changed my ringtones AGAIN, and deleted Jong’s name from my phone. _Zico!_  
The message said, “Can we talk? It’s very important. Please?”  
I thought for a moment and then texted back “I guess so. I’ll meet you in the lobby at ten.”  
I got dressed but not too dressed. You didn’t want to look too good when you were going to kiss someone off. Especially someone like Jong. Men like him tend not to get the message. I grabbed my key card and my phone and headed for the lobby. In the elevator, I changed all of my ringtones to bird sounds.  
In the lobby, I saw Jong sitting alone in the far corner. He kept looking out of his watch and then staring out of the window.  
“Hey there,” I said.  
“Elizabeth!” His face exploded into a big smile. He stood up and indicated the beside of him. I sat down and he followed.  
“Please don’t say anything until I finish. I want to apologize for last night. I acted so badly and that is not me. Zico told me that you liked an aggressive man who takes charge. He said you were a party girl who would get bored if I didn’t show you a good time.”  
“He did, huh?” I don’t know why I was surprised.  
“Mm-hmm. I’m not usually that forward. When I kissed you, I could tell that Zico was totally wrong about you. I was so afraid that I messed up my one and only chance with you.” Jong agitatedly ran his hand through is hair which fell perfectly back into place. He seemed so sincere.  
 _I can’t believe Zico did this! Should I forgive Jong? I really want to. Everyone deserves a second chance._  
“Can you forgive me? Please give me another chance. I’ll treat you so good. I really like you, Elizabeth.” _Those puppy eyes again!_  
“Okay Jong. I’ll go out with you again.”  
“Thank you so much, Elizabeth! I promise, I’ll show you the real Jong this time. You won’t be sorry.” Jong leaned over and hugged me and then stood up to go. “I have a Zico errand to run but I’ll call you tonight. Is that okay?”  
“Yep. Zico said he may have something for me to do today but I haven’t heard from him yet.” Jong stretched out his hand to me and I took it. He kissed the back of my hand and after our goodbyes, he left.  
 _Jong, I hope you really are what you say you are. Now, where’s Zico? We have a few things to discuss!  
_  
I ran across Mya, the make-up girl, in the hallway and found out where Zico’s room was. He was staying on the top floor. _Of course!_ You had to have a key to even reach that floor! My only option was to leave him a message. I looked on my phone and found his number. I texted him, “Please come to my room. We need to talk.” I didn’t get a text back.  
I went to my room and waited. And waited. And waited! I finished my book which had a very shocking ending. I looked up when I heard the door click and watched as Zico strutted in. _It’s about time!_  
“What’s up, Tutti Frutti? What did you need?”  
 _Tutti Frutti?_  
He sat down in the chair across from me and just sort of spread out. When Zico was in the room, he was everywhere. His presence was huge and the room became fuller and livelier.  
“You know, a text back would have been nice,” I said.  
“Don’t be sour. You’re with Zico now. All is good,” he swung his head my way and grinned a big goofy grin.  
I gave him a look that said I was not amused. “All is NOT good! Why did you sabotage my date with Jong? What do you think gives you the right to mess with my life?”  
“Hey-ho! Hold up! I made sure he didn’t totally molest you last night! You should be thanking me!”  
“I don’t mean then. I mean before the date started!”  
“What? I don’t know what you mean,” he said.  
 _I’ll bet you don’t!_  
“I know you talked to Jong before we went out yesterday,” I said.  
“Huh? No I didn’t.” He looked confused.  
“He told me what you said. Why did you lie about me? He only treated me that way because you told him I’m a party girl!” I didn’t mean for my voice to get louder and I was trying to keep my anger in check.  
“Hang on! FIRST of all, I didn’t know you had a date until lunch. SECOND, I didn’t tell Jong ANYTHING about you. And THIRD, WHY are you still TALKING TO HIM? He was treating you like a total slut! I know! I watched! Zico was getting angry and our customary yelling had started. I was mad too.  
“You had PLENTY of time to talk to him after our fight yesterday. But WHY? Why do you CARE if I date JONG?”  
“WHY WOULD I LIE? You know WHAT? FORGET IT! I DON’T CARE! GO SCREW JONG’S BRAINS OUT! YOU’RE RIGHT! IT’S NONE. OF. MY. BUSINESS!” Zico stood up. My phone twittered as I got a text. I saw it was from Jong before Zico snatched up the phone before I could. He read the text and then threw the phone against the wall. It exploded. “I don’t care how late you’re up getting raped by JONG! You better be on time in the morning or YOU’RE FIRED! FOR REAL THIS TIME!”  
Zico flung his chair over and stormed out. I sat there for another hour trying to figure out what was going on. _Zico was right. Why would he lie? But for that matter, why would Jong lie? Why would he say Zico told him that when it would be so easy to find out the truth? Unless he thought I wouldn’t ask Zico._  
I finally decided I would give Jong his second chance and if he turned out to be a big fat liar and a pig then I wouldn’t see him again. I also decided that my relationship with Zico was becoming too familiar. We needed to maintain a professional relationship and that was all. No more lunches or personal information. I was also going to switch rooms an get a pad lock of my own installed. If he didn’t like it, he could fire me.  
  
That night Jong came to my room. I told him the reason I hadn’t answered his calls or texts was because I had broken my phone. He was a perfect gentleman and we made plans to go out the following night. I only had to dress Zico for one event in the morning so I would have plenty of time to get ready. Jong was taking me to a play. I felt safe with that and a little excited because I had never seen a live play before.  
  
The next morning I rode with Mya to Zico’s magazine interview and photo shoot. She complained about him the entire time. Not that I didn’t agree with most of it but I really didn’t want to talk about Zico anymore.  
The photo shoot was uncomfortable to say the least. Zico didn’t speak to me once. He just glared. His photo shoot also didn’t go so well. He was grumpy and short with everyone. I watched people trying to avoid him and if they couldn’t, they ended up sorry. I looked away when he got dressed. He hadn’t worn underwear and I know he did it on purpose to embarrass me. I pretended not to care. When he wasn’t looking, I stole a few glances. Quick glances. They were enough. I needed some more me time and another cold shower.  
When I got back, I had a few hours to kill so I went shopping for a new dress and shoes to wear to the play. I didn’t really know what to get so I got black. It usually works for most events. Back at the hotel, I had two packages waiting for me. I hurried up to my room before I opened them but it was so hard to wait. I had no clue what they could be or who they could be from.  
I threw everything on the bed and picked up the first box. The only thing on it was my name and room number. I used a butter knife to cut the tape and was shocked to find a new phone inside. I was cute and pink and so sickeningly girly. And I was going to send it right back to Zico as soon as I could drop it off at the front desk. I wasn’t going to let him buy his way out of his guilt. I wasn’t that easy! His money couldn’t buy him everything like he thought it could. I was less eager to open he second box. It was, no doubt, something else Zico sent to assuage his guilty conscience. When opened the box, I was completely confused. It was another phone! This one was bigger, more expensive, and blingy. It was gold and on the back was my name and a beautiful flower all in diamonds. No doubt they were real diamonds.  
 _Hmmm…_  
Okay, so Zico had sent the gold phone but why the pink one? Did he feel that guilty? There was no way. I turned them on to hopefully find a clue as to what was going on. Immediately the pink phone started chiming with a text message. It said, “Do you like it? It’s an I’m sorry gift as well as a Thank you gift for giving me another chance. Can’t wait to see you tonight. <3 Jong”  
 _Well…  
Umm…  
Hmm…_  
I couldn’t figure out what the deal was. Jong’s or Zico’s. I knew one thing, I was returning both phones. I had to check one thing first. I looked through the gold phones settings and found that all of the ringtones were not only Zico songs but those were the only options to change them to as well. Also, all of the contact fields were completely filled with Zico’s number. _That man! There really was no one like him!_  
I boxed the phones back up, marked through my name and wrote Jong’s and Zico’s names instead. I would go in the morning before Zico’s show and get my own phone. I should have done it while I was out but I sort of liked being inaccessible for a day. I looked at the boxes and shrugged. I sort of liked the gold phone. It had my name in diamonds. REAL diamonds! It had everything else a phone could have too. _Oh well, good try Zico. VERY good try._ I went to have my shower and get ready for my date.  
  
On my way to the lobby to meet Jong, I ran into Zico in the elevator. When the doors opened and I saw him standing there, I almost didn’t get on. He just stood there eating peanuts out of a pack from the vending machine and looking at me. Then I decided not to let him have that much power over me. I got on, saw that the lobby button was already lit, groaned to myself, and stood as far away from him as possible. He just kept munching his peanuts. Relief flooded through me when the elevator opened at the lobby level and I rushed out a little faster than I meant to. Zico didn’t get out. As I walked away, he yelled, “Hope he isn’t too rough on you!”  
I couldn’t let him get away with that so I slowly turned and as the doors started to close, I yelled back, “I hope he is! That’s how I like it!” Then I winked. Zico’s face was priceless. I had a victory smile on my face as I approached Jong in the lobby. He was stunning. He wore a tux and I was glad I decided on this dress. I was afraid I was over-dressed and now I worried that I was under-dressed. Jong was almost too good looking. In fact, he was almost prettier than me!  
He grabbed my hand and kissed it again. “I can’t believe how lucky I am. You are absolutely gorgeous!” He had a huge smile on his face.  
“Thank you Jong. I think I’m the lucky one! Look at you!” I looked him up and down. _Nice!_  
“I can’t wait to get you there and show you off! Shall we?” He offered me his arm. I took it. _Maybe he wasn’t lying. Maybe Zico DID sabotage our date last night.  
_  
When we got there, I was genuinely starry-eyed. The play was in an old opera house and it was grand. It looked exactly like one of the old opera house paintings from the master painters with it’s gilded decorations, red velvet banners, and impressive openness. Jong had gotten us balcony seats where we could see everything. I couldn’t hide my excitement and I know I seemed like a silly girl. Jong didn’t seem to mind. I sat on the edge of my seat and peered over the edge at all of the people coming in. They were so beautiful. I should have been paying more attention to Jong but there was so much to be distracted by.  
“Oh great!” I heard Jong exclaim.  
Without turning to him I asked, “What’s wrong? Oh, Jong, look at that!”  
“Zico’s here,” he said.  
My head turned to him so fast it hurt my neck. “Where?” I asked.  
“Over there.” He pointed behind his hand at a balcony two sections away.  
I searched the crowd but I found him quickly. He wasn’t hard to spot with that white hair. He was staring at me. When he saw me notice him, he leaned back in his seat and put his arm around the bimbo beside him. He quit looking at me and started paying a LOT of attention to her. She looked like sex in a short dress. She leaned into him and giggled at everything he said. It was like watching the beginning of an adult movie. He did keep glancing my way but mostly he kept his attention on her.  
“Elizabeth? Hey, Elizabeth?” I realized Jong had been trying to get my attention.  
“I’m sorry Jong. I’m just so excited to be here. I’ve never seen anything like this. I didn’t mean to ignore you.” I began to use my little girl pouty voice.  
“It’s okay. I’m glad to see you so excited. I was hoping you would love it. We could come a lot.”  
“Please? Can we Jong? I would love that.” I sat back in my seat and leaned into him. He put his arm around me and I scooted even closer.  
“My goodness, Elizabeth. When you ask in that voice, I can’t say no.” Jong pulled me even closer and snuggled my neck. I let him.  
I looked over at Zico to make sure he was watching. As soon as my eyes met his, he looked away and started nuzzling her.  
The lights slowly went down and Jong settled in with me practically in his lap. He kissed my cheek and said, “I hope you like this play. It’s one of my favorites.”  
I put my mouth very close to his ear and as seductively as I could I whispered, “I know I will because I’m here with you.”  
With that he started to perspire and put his hand high up on my thigh. I found Zico in the dark and I knew he was looking our way. I slowly reached up and kissed Jong behind his ear, leaving a wet place. I breathed on it and felt him shiver. His breathing increased.  
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’ve been wanting to taste that spot all night.”  
At that point, Jong began squirming in his seat slightly and I knew he had become uncomfortable with the way he was sitting. He uncrossed his legs.  
“I’ll pay attention now,” I said softly.  
I tried to pay attention to the play. I really did but I couldn’t help but look over at Zico. Often. He was mostly watching the play but sometimes I caught him looking. I noticed his slutty date wasn’t looking at anything but him. She couldn’t keep her hands off him. As he sat there, she caressed his hair, and nibbled his neck, and put her hands somewhere below the balcony edge where I couldn’t see.  
When the play came to a really racy scene, Jong’s hand began moving up my thigh, taking my dress with it. I was indecently exposed but only Jong could see and he was definitely looking. He began massaging my leg and now I was becoming aroused, especially knowing that Zico was watching the whole thing. Jong leaned into my hair and began kissing my neck. His lips softly wrapped around my earlobe. When he pulled away, his teeth dragged along the soft skin there and I started to feel weak. His fingers were working their way between my thighs and I had to stop him before he went any farther. Then his mouth traveled around my neck to my mouth as his hand found my breast. I grabbed his wrist as he began deeply kissing me. When he pulled away, it was just in time for me to see Zico and his hooker leaving. He looked over at us and with his arm around her, he grabbed a handful of her over-abundant ass before they disappeared behind the curtain and were gone.  
Of course Jong didn’t realize I had been using him to bother Zico and he was still overheated. “You want to go?”  
I had to think for a minute, _Does he mean go home or have sex? Oh, probably both. Crap! I didn’t think this through._  
“The play isn’t over. I want to see how it ends,” I whispered.  
“I can tell you how it ends. I’ll explain it to you in the car. I’m dying. I really want you right now.”  
I felt kind of bad. “But Jong. I want to watch it.” I used the little girl voice again.  
“Ohhh, alright. But you’re really gonna get it when we get back to the hotel. I’ve never wanted someone this bad!” He leaned back in his seat and put his head back. He was still squirming.  
 _Great! How was I gonna get out of this one?_  
We watched the rest of the play which didn’t have that much longer to go and then Jong practically dragged me from the opera house. In the car I thought of the solution but I hated to use it. It was embarrassing and a total lie but it was the only deal breaker I could think of.  
“Jong?” I asked.  
“Hmmm?” He said as he shifted gears. He was driving like Zico now.  
“I didn’t want to tell you this but now I have no choice. I can’t be with you tonight,” I said trying to use the pouty voice to keep him from being too mad.  
“Elizabeth, please don’t do this to me. Don’t be a tease. I really can’t handle that. Not tonight. Not with you. I would have had sex with you in the balcony if you would have let me. I want you so bad. I NEED you!” He shifted and turned a sharp curve that almost put me in his lap.  
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I can’t,” I said.  
“Yes you can. I’ll do it all. You just have to lay there and like it.”  
“Jong, I’m on my period.”  
We reached the hotel at that moment and he hit the brakes. I put my hands against the dashboard so I didn’t hit my head on it.  
“Really? Why did you get me so excited when you knew that you couldn’t go through with it? Why are you being so cruel to me?”  
 _Zico_  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I really like you and I got carried away. I’m so sorry Jong. Forgive me?” I tried using the puppy eyes. I don’t think it was successful. Jong looked at me in anguish. He leaned back in his seat.  
“I know how you can make it up to me,” he said.  
“How?” I was honestly clueless as to what he was getting at.  
He slowly lowered his seat back, unbuttoned his pants, and rubbed his finger over my bottom lip.  
Then I got it.  
“Jong! Is that what you think of me?”  
He put his seat back up and said, “No. I’m sorry. I just really want you. Any way I can get you.”  
“I know. I do too but just think of how great it will be when we can finally be together. They say that waiting makes it incredible.” He smiled but he didn’t look convinced. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this to you. Forgive me?”  
He looked over at my begging face and smiled. “Of course.” He sighed and rubbed my bottom lip again while biting his own. “Come on. I’ll walk you up.”  
He took me to my door and to my surprise, he gave me a very sweet kiss and left with a promise to call me tomorrow. I had forgotten I was returning the phone.  
I went into my room and fell back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time. Then I had a shower and got ready for bed. I hadn’t done laundry so I was sleeping in my t-shirt and panties again. _At least Zico is mad at me and won’t be coming in here anytime soon._  
I brushed my wet hair and looked for the remote. I needed something to distract me before I went to bed. All of a sudden, my door flew open and bounced against the wall with a bang. Zico came in and looking at me said, “Where is he?”  
“Get out Zico!” I said. I was so surprised that I forgot my state of undress.  
“Where the fuck is he?” He was looking around the room and then went into the bathroom. I noticed he was out of his tux and now he wore a loose tank top and jeans with bare feet. His hair was a crazy mess and I could only guess how it got that way. _Never mind! I don’t want to know._  
I could hear him going through my closet and then he reappeared. “WHERE THE FUCK IS HE, ELIZABETH?”  
I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt teary. “Why Zico? WHY DO YOU CARE? WHY?”  
“WHY?” he yelled at me.  
He shoved me against the wall and pushed his body against me as he took my mouth with his. I had never been kissed like this. His tongue filled my mouth as his body crushed me against the wall. Then he pushed himself away and looked at me, out of breath.  
“That’s why!”  
He walked out and slammed the door.  
I slid down the wall and sat there stunned.  
I reached up and touched my lips and they were still wet.  
 _Zico?_

 


	6. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Six:: Even if I fall down, I look good... (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since Zico's surprising revelation, there's only one thing Elizabeth can do...

It was the last thing in the world that I wanted to do. It was also the only thing I could do.  
I had been sitting there against the wall for an hour waiting, willing, and wanting Zico to come back. I kept replaying that kiss over and over in my mind an every time I did, my lips would tingle and I could feel his tongue pressed against mine. When he didn’t come back, I knew there was no way I could face him tomorrow. I got up, my legs still shaky, and began to pack.  
I’ve always been nervous in airports. I’m not afraid to fly, it’s just the bustle and business of so many people moving in so many directions that makes me anxious. _This must be what Zico’s life is like all the time._  
I bought my ticket home to the States. I had two hours to wait so I also bought a latte and a magazine and I sat in the corner not drinking my latte and not reading the magazine. _I wonder what Zico will think when he finds out I’m gone?_  
I touched my lips again and thought about Zico. His eyes, those lips, his body crushing mine against the wall. _How could I not have seen it? He acted jealous of Jong from the start and I missed it._ I knew why. It was because what girl in her right mind would think she could have Zico? Especially an average looking, chubby clothing designer from the United States! Zico was bigger than life and there was no way he would ever be tamed by someone as ordinary as me.  
I heard the call to board the plane and I almost felt like crying. I went through the boarding process and found my seat. As I sat there taking my last looks at Korea through the window, my heart began to hurt. _Come on Elizabeth! It could never be. He’s not interested in you. Not really. He just doesn’t like to lose._  
The plane began to move and I sat there, staring out of the window with tears clouding my eyes. One of them slipped down my face leaving a warm trail and tickling the corner of my mouth. I licked it away.  
The plane slowed down and came to a stop. I wiped away my tears and looked out of the window to see what was going on. The pilot made the announcement that there would be a slight delay. I watched as a security car drove toward the plane followed by a truck with stairs.  
 _What the heck is going on now?_ It would be just my luck to get on a plane that was being hijacked. I saw two men in uniforms stop to talk to the pilot. He pointed to the back and they began moving down the aisle toward my section of the plane. They stopped at my seat and said my name.  
I looked around and all eyes were on me. I heard someone whisper, “That’s her. I’m sure it is.”  
“Um, yes, that’s me.”  
“Could you come with us please? There has been a threat made against your life and we need to take you into protective custody.”  
I didn’t get up. “Are you sure you have the right person?”  
“Yes ma'am. Please come now.”  
I still didn’t get up. “Couldn’t I just make the trip and go into custody in the United States?”  
“No ma’am. The safety of this plane and it’s passengers are being compromised with your presence as long as there is a threat to your life.” I heard gasps. I was so confused but I stood and went with them. I didn’t know anyone in Korea except for Zico and Jong. I guess it could be a fan of the show I was on. I did have a couple of fans who sounded like they could be stalkers.  
I followed the policemen down a hallway and to a tiny room where they left me alone. After a few minutes a woman came in carrying a magazine. It was the same one I had bought and not read. She introduced herself as Detective Lee and sat on the other side of the table. She opened the magazine to a story about Zico. When I saw the pictures, I almost fell off of the chair. They were all behind the scenes photos of the magazine photo shoot where Zico had hit Craig. There were frame-by-frame pictures of the fight and then a big picture of Zico holding me. The caption read in bold print, “ALL FOR LOVE?”  
I read the story which was complete fiction. It said that Zico and I had been cuddled up together throughout the entire photo shoot and that when Craig came onto me, Zico became a wild animal and attacked him. At the bottom in big red print it said, “No one Boils the Blood of the Dragon!”  
 _Oh my God! Really? I should have read my magazine!_  
“Since the magazine came out yesterday, there have been sixteen threats made against your life. Four of those have been deemed credible so you can’t fly right now. It isn’t safe,” explained Detective Lee.  
I thought back to that camera woman that had been taking pictures of the whole thing but with so much going on at the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I’ll also bet that Craig had something to do with this in retaliation for getting his ass kicked. Well at least the article made him look like a totally wimpy wussbag!  
Before she left, Detective Lee said that someone would be in to take me to a protective location. When I asked how long I would have to stay in Korea, she said, “Until the threats had been neutralized.” _Why do they have to talk like that? Why can’t they just say, “We don’t know ma’am. You can leave when we catch those crazy idiots. Until then, you have to suffer as our prisoner.”_  
I waited for another hour before someone came in to get me. They led me to a waiting limousine which I thought was odd. The man opened the door and I looked at him bewildered. “Are you sure this is the right car?”  
He nodded. I climbed in. I had never been in a limo before and I was surprised by the space on the inside _It’s like the Tardis!_ I thought. I stuck my head out of the door and asked the man, “Are you sure? Isn’t this a little excessive for one girl?”  
He nodded and indicated that he was going to close the door. _Okay then. I’ll take it!_ Maybe protective custody wouldn’t be so bad.  
I jumped a little when the door opened again. Having a threat against you tended to make a person jumpy. When I realized who was getting into the limo with me, time seemed to slow down and I saw things in slow motion. And when that white hair was finally completely in the car and the man it was attached to got situated, he turned to me and asked, “Where in the hell did you think you were going?”  
  
He looked hungover. It may have been the dark sunglasses or the blank, pale look on his face but there was something definitely wrong with him.  
“I was going home,” I mumbled. “Why are you here, Zico?  
“Trust me, I don’t want to be.” He slowly leaned his head back.  
“Did you see the magazine article?” I asked.  
“Yep.”  
“So, are you in protective custody too?”  
“Hell no! They want to kill you, not me. They just want me.” He smiled.  
 _Arrogant ass!_  
“Then why are you here?”  
He lifted his head. “I told you before, when you work for me, you are my responsibility.”  
“Well, you will be happy to know that you are now relieved of that responsibility. I quit. So you can go.”  
He took off the sunglasses and laid them in the seat and rubbed his eyes. They were completely bloodshot. Laying his head back against the seat again he said, “You go.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“This is my car. If you want don’t want my protection then you can go. See how much help you get from those idiots!”  
I didn’t know how to respond to that. “I thought I was under police protection.”  
“Mine’s better,” he said without raising his head.  
“How are you going to protect me?” I asked.  
He looked over at me and said, “Are you kidding me? What in the hell do you think I’ve been doing this entire time? The whole time you’ve been here, I’ve done nothing but look out for you!” He opened a mini-fridge and took out a bottle of Soju. With his eyes closed, he opened it and downed the entire bottle. He reached for another. “All I have time for anymore is looking out for my naive little country bumpkin who can’t tell the difference between a pig and pearl!” He drank half of the second bottle.  
My emotions were jumbled. I wanted to feel good that he had been looking out for me but I felt bad that he saw me as a helpless idiot. So I just got mad. I decided to leave.  
Without a word, I got up the best I could and tried to get around Zico but as always, he was so spread out, it was like he was everywhere. Even in this spacious limo, he took up all of the room. I reached for the door when he said, “No you don’t!” He grabbed me and tried to make me sit back down.  
“Stop it Zico! I’m leaving,” I said, trying to peel his hand from my wrist.  
“The hell if you are!” He let go of my wrist and put his arm around my waist. I almost fell backward so I pushed forward at the same time Zico pulled. I ended up falling into his lap. I squirmed. He tightened his grip. He also tapped the front barrier and I felt the limo start to move.  
I tried to reach around and hit Zico but I couldn’t reach him. I could feel him laughing before I could hear him. That made me furious!  
“Let GO Zico! I QUIT! You can’t make me stay here!” I yelled.  
“WATCH ME!”  
He wrapped his arms around me like a seatbelt and I began to kick and wiggle.  
“Please. Keep doing that!” He said.  
“PERVERT!” I yelled and fought harder.  
He began to laugh out loud. Now I didn’t want to get away. I just wanted to hurt him. I wanted to hit or pinch or bite him. He was so infuriating! Just then, the car hit a hole in the road and pitched us both into the floor. I tried to crawl away but Zico turned me over and straddled me. He looked down at me and now he wasn’t laughing. We were both breathing hard and I became super aware of all of the parts of his body that were touching me. He slowly leaned toward me and put his mouth on mine. I could taste the Soju as his tongue slowly traced my lips before entering my mouth. I was no longer fighting him because I hadn’t realized how much I wanted this until it was happening. My mind went blank. Just like the way Zico always took up all of the space, he also took over a person when he wanted to. There was nothing but Zico. His hands trailed up my sides until he had raised my arms over my head. He held my wrists there with one hand as he deepened the kiss and the other hand found it’s way to my breast.  
He started to pull my bra away when his hand brushed my nipple and it hardened at his touch. That’s when he stopped. He pulled away and looked down at me. “I can’t. I’m not doing this.”  
My mind was still fuzzy with passion and I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. I watched as he got up and finished off the second bottle of Soju. I also got back into the seat and rearranged my clothes. “What just happened? Why did you stop?”  
He got a third bottle from the fridge. Opening the bottle and watching his hands instead of looking at me he said, “Because I’m not like Jong.” He took a drink. “And I’m too drunk right now. But mostly because I’m not like Jong.” He held the bottle between his legs and laid his head back against the seat again.  
  
The car came to a stop and we got out. Zico swayed on his feet. He really was drunk. I watched as he handed a keycard to one of his staff and talked to them for a moment. Without even looking at me he got back into the car and the lady he had talked to asked me to follow her. She took me to a room on the floor just below the top floor which was of course where Zico stayed. All of my things were already there and put away. _How did he manage that? How did they get this stuff here from the airport and unpack it before we got here?_ Then I realized that it had never made it onto the plane. They had it when I checked it and had plenty of time to bring it here.  
I was so tired. I didn’t want to do anything but sleep. For a hundred years. I found my pajamas and fell into bed. I went to sleep quickly and Zico took up as much space in my dreams as he did in my life.  
  
Zico was slowly invading my whole life! I could hear “Blood of the Dragon” playing when I woke up and I didn’t even like that song! I rubbed my eyes. I woke up more and I could still hear it. It was coming from the nightstand. I reached over and opened the drawer and there it was. The blingy phone! I answered it and all I heard was, “Get dressed.”  
I sat there looking at the shiny gold phone not believing the gall of that man. All of a sudden it began to ring again.  
“WHAT?” I answered.  
“Wear workout clothes. You have five minutes.” Click.  
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!” I shook my hair and flung my arms and rolled on the bed and beat the blankets as hard as I could. When I had worked out my anger issues, I got up and got dressed. I was just putting my hair up in a ponytail when he came strutting in the room like he owned it. And me! “Let’s go!” he said.  
“I have thirty seconds,” I said as I slowly got my shoes and put them on. Zico stood there, hands on hips, looking up at the ceiling and biting his lip.  
“Where are we going?” I asked.  
“Master Pao’s.”  
“Huh?” _What the…?_  
“Self defense classes. Let’s go,” he said as he walked toward the door.  
“You sure are a grump today,” I said as I caught up.  
He gave me a look and I shut up.  
As we left the room and walked to the elevator, a man started following us. He had been standing outside my door. I kept glancing back at him and then at Zico but no one was saying anything. I know Zico had to have seen him. The man was built like a tank. He was as short as I was but he had so many bulging muscles that the jacket he wore looked like it was going to split open at every seam. I also noticed he was wearing a gun on his side. Not that he would need one. He looked like he could spit bullets! When I looked at him, he just looked straight ahead. He rode with us in the elevator and kept following us to the car.  
On the sidewalk, as we waited for the car, I stood on tiptoe and whispered to Zico, “There is a man following us.”  
“Yes. There is.”  
“And?” I asked.  
Zico smiled and the car pulled up. He didn’t answer and just opened the door. As I got into the car I said under my breath, “I hate you so much.”  
“I know,” Was all he said before slamming the door.  
The big man got into the back seat.  
As soon as Zico was behind the wheel, I whispered, “Is this Master Pao?”  
Zico burst out laughing. “No and you don’t have to whisper. Marco doesn’t speak English. Well, not a lot.”  
“Can you please stop being such an ass and tell me what is going on?” I said loudly.  
Zico squeezed his eyes shut. “Please don’t be so loud. I have a huge freaking headache.”  
“You are giving me a huge freaking headache Zico. Who is Marco?” I said in a lower tone.  
“He’s your bodyguard. You’re life has been threatened. Remember?” Zico put the car in gear and shot out of the parking lot.  
 _Crap! I forgot about riding with Zico._  
“You mean he’s going to follow me around?”  
“Everywhere. And don’t argue. I don’t need any crap from you today,” said Zico.  
“Fine. I’ll talk to Marco then,” I said.  
“I told you, he doesn’t speak English. He isn’t here to talk. He’s here to make sure you are safe from the crazies. He needs to concentrate and pay attention.”  
“Well, the only crazy around right now is you!” I turned around to look at Marco. He didn’t look at me.  
“Hello Marco. I’m Elizabeth,” I said. He didn’t turn his head, just his eyes for a second and then went back to looking straight ahead.  
“Why won’t he look at me Zico?” I asked while still staring at Marco.  
“I told him not to,” said Zico matter-of-factly.  
“What? Why? If he’s going to follow me around, we have to have some kind of relationship.”  
“No you don’t.” Zico turned a curve and I watched as Marco tried to stay upright in the seat. It was a struggle.  
I waited till we were on a straight stretch and as quick as I could I said, “Marco!”  
He turned his head and said, “Huh?” Then, realizing he had messed up, he went back to looking straight ahead.  
I couldn’t help but laugh a little. Zico turned another corner and since I had ruffled him, Marco fell over sideways in the seat. I really laughed at that. He righted himself and smiled in spite of himself. The smile was small but I saw a glint of gold from between his lips. _It’s like I’m in a gangster movie._ I thought.  
“Stop that and turn around,” said Zico.  
I did. I didn’t want to push Zico too far.  
  
We turned onto a dirt road and Zico slowed down. We followed it for a long time and I could see Marco bouncing around in the seat out of the corner of my eye. It took all I had not to die laughing. We finally stopped outside of a cute little cottage. There was a building farther on that was long and looked like it was made of sticks.  
Marco was out of the car before both of us and he held my door closed. I heard Zico say something to him in Korean and he stepped away and helped me out of the car. We followed Zico to the cottage and he opened the door and went in without knocking. _Does he do this everywhere?_  
“Master Pao!” he yelled.  
The tiniest man I’ve ever seen came through a doorway and ran over to Zico. He bowed and Zico bowed back.  
“Master Pao, this is the woman I told you about. She needs to learn to protect herself.” Zico pulled me up beside him.  
The little man came up to my chin. He bowed. Zico pushed my back and I bowed too. He turned and waved for us to follow him. We went through a back door and headed for the stick building. The inside of the building was not what I expected. It was nice. It had shiny wooden floors with mats everywhere and strange looking weapons on the walls.  
Master Pao took my hand and pulled me to the center of the room. Zico followed but the little man put both hands against him and pushed him back to the wall. “Not you,” he said.  
He came back and walked around me, looking me up and down. He jumped at me and I jumped back. “You are a mouse. I will make you a Lioness!” I saw Zico roll his eyes up and shake his head. Master Pao continued, “I once taught an Amazon woman to fight and now she is the Amazon Queen because she has killed so many men.” He closed his eyes and nodded his head.  
All of a sudden, he turned to Zico and said, “You! Come here.” Zico did as he was told.  
The little man led me to the wall and said, “Watch. I will prove my skill.” He ran with tiny steps back over to Zico. “Now, Jiho, attack me! No pull!”  
I almost freaked when I watched as Zico began to throw full strength punches at the tiny little man. If one punch had hit him, he would have shattered! I was sure of it. Luckily, not one punch hit its target. Actually, Master Pao put Zico on his ass in three seconds flat. I had to clap for that.  
Getting up, Zico rubbed his shoulder and then his head.  
“You are out of shape, Jiho. Next time I won’t go easy on you so you better practice.”  
They walked back over to me and I jumped a little when Master Pao reached out and squeezed my thigh. He pushed a finger into my chubby tummy and then squeezed my biceps. He reached up and grabbed my head on both sides and said, “Open your eyes child.” I did. I was scared not to.  
“I will teach you Krav Maga. That is what you need.”  
“Why that one, Master Pao?” asked Zico.  
“So that she can bust your balls, Jiho. Now don’t question me.”  
I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing.  
“Yes sir.”  
He walked over and took a metal bar from the wall. He brought it over and held it out to me. When I took it, I almost dropped it. It was extremely heavy. This time, Zico laughed. He had known what was coming.  
“You lift this one hundred times everyday. Fifty in the morning and fifty at night. Arms and legs. Jiho will show you. Next week, you will be stronger.” Zico reached out to take the bar but Master Pao smacked his hand. “No! She carries it.” He closed his eyes and nodded his head. “Now you go.”  
He ushered us out and ran with tiny steps back toward his little cottage.  
Marco followed us back to the car and reached for my door handle at the same time as Zico.  
“I’ve got it!” Zico said in English jerking the door open. Then he said something in Korean and Marco got in the back seat.  
“You really are in a bad mood,” I said.  
“Just get in,” he said. I could tell he was almost at the end of his patience so I did as I was told and kept my mouth shut.  
When he got in, he rubbed his eyes and then his temples. He put on his sunglasses and started the car and the rest of the ride was quiet.  
  
Instead of going back to the hotel, we stopped at Vita’s little restaurant bar. As soon as we entered the dark room, the little woman giggled and ran over to us, throwing her arms around Zico’s waist. “Jiho! Is it Christmas? Both Woo’s in one day? It must be!”  
“Hi Vita,” Zico kissed the top of the little woman’s head and squeezed her to him. “Is Taewoon already here?”  
“Are you kidding? He’s already eating. He’s at your table.” She stepped back and then peeked around Zico. “Jiho! You didn’t say your girlfriend was here. Come over here girly and give Vita a hug.”  
She hugged me as Zico said, “She’s not my girlfriend, Vita. She works for me.”  
“Whatever you say, Jiho.” She winked at me. I wanted to pat her head but I didn’t. “Now, I’ll get your food. You all go and sit down. You know the way.” We started for Zico’s table when Vita jumped back a little and yelled, “What in the hullabaloo is this, Jiho?”  
“That’s Marco, Vita. He’s here to protect Elizabeth. Just ignore him.”  
“Ignore him? How can you ignore a mountain in the middle of your shop? And Jiho! Why aren’t you protecting her? I didn’t pay for all of those lessons for nothing!”  
“I do, Vita. I just have to work so much and I want to make sure she’s protected all of the time.” Zico looked defeated.  
“I see. Go see your brother and I’ll bring your food. I’ll bring him two plates!” she jerked her thumb toward Marco.  
Zico looked after her as she skirted the tables and then he yelled, “Steaks?”  
“Chicken!”  
“Damn,” he said and took my hand. We went to his table and a man was sitting there eating. He looked incredibly like Zico.  
“Lil’ Brother!” he said as he stood up and bumped shoulders with Zico.  
“You’re in my spot,” said Zico as we sat down.  
“Kiss my ass,” said his brother and bit into a chicken leg.  
“This is Elizabeth, my stylist,” said Zico.  
“Hello,” I said.  
He swallowed and said, “Hey, nice to meet you. I’m Jiho’s brother, Taewoon.” Then to Zico he asked, “Who’s the muscle? Her boyfriend?”  
“Sort of. He’s her bodyguard.”  
“Oh, okay.” Taewoon raised his eyebrows. He leaned over and quietly asked Zico “Why did you bring your stylist? Huh? What’s that story?” He wiggled his eyebrows.  
“I’ll tell you later,” Zico said quietly.  
Vita came out with two plates and served us. She leaned over the table and looked closely at Zico. “Boy, what’s wrong with you? Have you been in your cups again?”  
“Yes Vita.”  
She shook her head and said, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Old Vita will be right back with the cure. After I feed this big bullmoose.” She gave Marco three sharp whacks to the back. He looked surprised.  
After she had everything on the table and had given Zico his hangover “cure”, which looked like a green milkshake, she started back to the kitchen, only to stop halfway and grab her chest. “Ouch,” she said.  
Both Woo brothers were up and at her side helping her to sit down in the blink of an eye.  
“I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m just getting a little old is all. I run down faster these days,” said Vita as she looked up at Zico.  
“I think we should take you to the hospital,” he said bending down to her level.  
“Nope! I don’t need a hospital. I need someone to wash all those dishes for me.” She smiled.  
“You look pale Vita. Please let us take you to get checked. Just a check,” said Taewoon. I could see panic on his face.  
“I love you boys. You take such good care of old Vita but I really am okay. I didn’t sleep good last night and I’m tired. That’s all. You go and enjoy that chicken and let me get back to work.” She stood up and whacked both boys butts before she went back into the kitchen.  
They gave each other a look of exasperation as they came back to the table and sat down. Zico drank his “cure” and didn’t touch his food. Taewoon finished his plate and ate half of Zico’s. Everything was a bit solemn as the boys talked about work and their mom and other things. I ate and listened. If you closed your eyes, they sounded almost identical. Especially when they laughed.  
I noticed Marco didn’t eat so I said, “Marco, you had better eat or you’ll hurt Vita’s feelings. Or she’ll whip you!”  
He looked over at Zico who said one word in Korean which I assumed was his permission. Marco dug in. I patted his hand and he looked up at me for a second before picking up a chicken leg and putting the whole thing in his mouth. The bone came out clean and I just sat there watching him in amazement. The boys didn’t seem to notice or care.  
After about an hour, the boys went into the kitchen to do the dishes without being asked. Vita hadn’t been back out and I think they were worried.  
I was bored so I decided to play with Marco.  
“Marco,” I said.  
Nothing.  
“Marco, look at me.”  
Nothing.  
I reached over and grabbed his hand. His instinct was to pull it away but he stopped himself and looked around nervously. “It’s okay Marco. Do you understand anything I say?”  
He looked around and then whispered, “A little.”  
“Great! Now listen. I need to know you are always there. Even when I can’t see you.”  
“I will be,” he said.  
“I know but I will need to know for sure so when I yell Marco, you have to yell back to me, Polo. Do you understand?”  
“Polo?” he asked.  
“That’s right!” I squeezed his hand and smiled.  
He tried not to smile but he broke down and did it anyway. That’s when I saw his gold front tooth.  
 _Perfect,_ I thought.  
I played around with Marco for a little while until the boys came back. We got ready to leave and before we got through the front door, Vita came running out. “You little monsters! Don’t you leave without giving love to old Vita!”  
She threw herself into Taewoon’s arms and he hugged her tight. She held up her arms and he picked her up. She kissed his cheek and he kissed hers and put her back down. Then she wrapped her tiny little arms around Zico’s waist and he put his around her. He kissed the top of her head. She looked up and put her hands on his head and rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs.  
“I love you, Little Woo!”  
“I love you so much, Vita.”  
She came over to me and hugged me too, then she whispered in my ear, “Please take care of my Little Woo. Especially his heart. He doesn’t show it but his heart is gentle. He also won’t tell you yet but he’s stricken with you. That boy has never brought anyone in here that he wasn’t partying with and he has NEVER brought a woman. Trust me. He’s stricken.”  
I smiled down at her and said, “I promise.” I kissed her cheek.  
We left.  
  
On the way back, Zico seemed to be feeling somewhat better. _Maybe there’s something to Vita’s cure._  
“You know, you just walked into Master Pao’s house like you do my room. You need to quit that. It’s not fair,” I said.  
“Not fair? I’m your boss.”  
“So! That has nothing to do with anything. I’m just saying it isn’t fair that you can invade my privacy anytime you want.”  
“Tough! Get over it!”  
I gave up.  
And even though I had Marco, Zico insisted on walking me to my room. He even opened my door. I think that was a jab at me for our conversation in the car. I spent the rest of the night working on clothes for a show. Every now and then I would yell, “MARCO!” and I would hear, “POLO!”  
I got ready for bed and I didn’t think it would be comforting having someone watching over me all night but it was. Before I fell completely asleep, I yelled “MARCO!” one last time and I heard, “POLO!” and I smiled.  
  
The next morning, when I woke up, I found a folded piece of paper on my nightstand. I opened it and found a key taped to the middle All it said was, “Now it’s fair!” I couldn’t help but feel giddy. I hurried and put some clothes on and rushed outside. Marco had to hurry to keep up with me. In the elevator, I put the key in the lock and when I turned it, the elevator automatically started moving up. The doors opened and I almost hit the floor. The elevator opened right into the suite. It was amazing. Everything was plush and expensive and so Zico! I took everything in and when I saw the door that had to be Zico’s bedroom, I headed straight for it. It was my turn to invade HIS privacy for a change!  
I was disappointed when I opened the door and saw only messy sheets and squished up pillows. Then I heard a voice behind me say, “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to come into a man’s bedroom uninvited?” I turned and he was an inch away from me, wet, and only wearing a towel. Marco started to come in and Zico slammed the door in his face.  
“That’s rude,” I said. Zico had started walking toward me and I started backing up.  
“I’m rude,” he said. He reached out and grabbed a strand of my hair, pulling it gently.  
“Zico,” I started to say.  
“Yes?” he said.  
I was up against the bed now with no where to go. “Um… I can go now. You need to finish getting ready. Right?”  
“Nope. I have time. I have plenty of time.” He put his face very close to me and I could feel his breath on my cheek and in my hair. He smelled like toothpaste and shaving cream. I closed my eyes and breathed him in.  
He whispered in my ear, “Now is it fair?”  
He began to laugh so I put my hand against his chest and pushed him away. “You always win don’t you?”  
“Of course.” He dropped his towel and I squealed and turned around fast.  
“Zico!”  
“What? You’re in my room now little girl. If you want to get naked when I come into yours, be my guest.”  
I looked around for something to throw at him.  
“I ordered some breakfast. I got Marco some too,” he said as he finished getting dressed.  
“You knew I’d come up here this morning didn’t you?” I asked  
I jumped a little when he said into my ear, “What woman in their right mind wouldn’t?”  
“You are an arrogant jerk, Woo Zico!” I said turning back around.  
“You like it,” he said and kissed my cheek. Then he opened the door and went out. I followed, still looking for something to throw at him that wouldn’t necessarily kill him.  
His intercom started buzzing and when he answered, it was Taewoon.  
“Come on up!” he said and hit a button. “That’s weird. He never comes here.”  
As soon as Zico opened the door for him, I could see by the look on Taewoon’s face that something was wrong. Very wrong.  
“What’s up?” asked Zico moving so Taewoon could come in.  
“Let’s go out there,” said Taewoon pointing at the balcony.  
Zico gave him a strange look but said, “Okay.” He led the way. Taewoon shut the glass doors.  
I sat on the couch and watched as the first thing Taewoon did was pull Zico into a tight hug. Zico pushed him away and I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I didn’t need to. Tears filled my eyes. Taewoon grabbed Zico’s hands and said something and my heart broke as I watched Zico’s face crumple and he fell to his knees, his hands still in Taewoon’s. The look on his face shattered my heart into a million pieces. Then I heard him scream, “VITA!”


	7. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Seven:: You become clearer in the thick darkness (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zico grieves...

It had been a week since Vita’s funeral and no one had seen Zico since. He told his manager to cancel everything on his calendar until he was ready to go back to work. That also freed me up since I didn’t have to work on clothes for anything. Marco was instructed not to let me go anywhere except the hotel so I did a lot of swimming and working out in the hotel gym. The plus to that was I was starting to lose my little chubby tummy. I was also getting closer to Marco regardless of whether Zico wanted us to or not. He was my only playmate. I got him to show me some things about lifting weights and I actually got him to thumb wrestle me a few times. He always let me win.  
When I tried to call Zico, I got no answer. I talked to his manager about my going to see him but he said that he wasn’t to be disturbed. That ticked me off a little. Finally I got tired of it. I got out my Zico key and went to the elevator. The manager had told Marco not to let me bother Zico but Marco was MY bodyguard and MY friend so the manager didn’t have much sway when I became determined. In the elevator, I put the key in the lock and turned it and Marco said, “That is off limits.”  
“Not to me, Marco,” I said.  
The doors opened and Zico was nowhere to be found. I knew where he was so I told Marco to sit on the couch and watch tv or read a magazine or something. “I might be a while.”  
Opening Zico’s bedroom door, all that greeted me was darkness. I couldn’t see him but I could feel him. I could hear his soft breathing. I went in and closed the door. “Zico?”  
No answer.  
“Zico, I know you’re awake.”  
Nothing.  
“It’s been a week Zico. I know you are in pain but laying here alone in the dark is making it worse, not better. You need to come out and talk to us and let us help you.”  
I could hear the sheets rustle as he moved.  
“Please talk to me.”  
Nothing.  
“Okay. I understand. You need some more time. But I want you to understand that I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be outside this door and when you are ready, I’ll be here for you.”  
I started to open the door when I heard in the softest voice, “Would you lay with me for a little while?”  
I closed the door and moved toward the bed. When I found it, I took off my shoes and lay down. I felt around the big bed until I found Zico. He was curled up and turned away from me. I curled around him and put my arm around his waist. He cuddled up closer to me and held onto my arm. I turned my head and laid my cheek against his back and listened to his breathing. After a few minutes, I could feel him shuddering and I knew he was crying. I squeezed a little tighter and got as close as I could.  
“Shhhh…” I tried to sooth him. “It’s okay. I’ll stay as long as you need me too,” I whispered.  
Then I heard a heart breaking sob come from him and he said, “My Vita’s gone…”  
“I know sweetheart. I know.” I also started to cry.  
He turned toward me and lay his head on my chest. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. I put my arms around him and ran my fingers through his hair to comfort him as he cried harder and harder. “My Vita’s gone…”  
I knew this was what he had needed. He didn’t need to be left alone to wallow in his own grief. He needed to share it with someone and get rid of it. I was glad to be that person. At that moment, I would have taken it all for him.  
We laid like that for a long time. He quieted down but he didn’t let me go. I began rubbing his back and his arm. He put a leg over mine. It was like he couldn’t get close enough. After a little while, the darkness and the warmth of being wrapped up in Zico, made me drowsy. I was just going off to sleep when I felt Zico kissing my neck. Just tender little kisses. His soft tongue felt nice against my skin. His hand reached under my shirt and began gently caressing my stomach. My own hand reached up an touched his cheek. He turned his head to kiss the palm of my hand. He pushed my shirt up and I sat up a little so that he could remove it. I also pulled his up and over his head. His warm skin on mine made me want more. More of him. All of him. I took off my bra. His hand found my breast as his mouth covered mine. I took his tongue into my mouth and gently sucked until he moaned. His fingers rubbed and squeezed my nipple until I felt an ache start to spread between my thighs. His kisses traveled down and took over where his fingers had left off.  
My fingers had found their way into his hair and I pulled a little and arched my back as his mouth worked it’s way from one nipple to the next. Zico pushed my skirt up and pulled my panties down around my thighs. I gasped as his hand grazed my wetness and his fingers slid into me. He groaned as his fingers began to do the work that another part of his body was aching to do. I pushed at his shorts to get rid of them. With his every touch, my body was more and more desperate to have him inside of me. Every moment felt like torture.  
I cried out when he removed his fingers from me. He finished taking off his clothes and then slowly placed kisses down my leg as he pulled my panties the rest of the way down. I also pushed at the skirt and he removed that too. His hands slowly made their way up my legs as they parted them and he began to kiss the hottest part of me. I reached down and ran my hands through his hair. His tongue was driving me beyond my limits. Just before I came, he sat up, grabbed my thighs, and slowly entered me.  
“Zico!” I cried.  
Softly he said, “Please don’t call me Zico. I don’t want to be Zico. Not right now. Not with you. I want to be Jiho with you.”  
He moved deeper into me as his mouth took mine. Zico began to surround me. He filled me, he covered me, and in that moment, he owned me. Tiny sounds escaped from me each time he pulled and pushed and he said, “Elizabeth! You are driving me crazy. I can’t stand it.”  
“Deeper Jiho. I need more. I need more of you. I need all of you.”  
He growled then as his movements became more urgent and rough. Each time he plunged into me he growled deep. He began to scrape his teeth against my neck as he became faster, his teeth nipping at my skin, sending tiny shocks through my body. His breathing was matching his rhythm. So was mine. I wrapped my legs around his thighs to pull him even closer and deeper as my body found it’s release.  
Zico didn’t last much longer. I felt him throb deep inside of me as he came. Later I would worry about the fact that we hadn’t used any form of protection but in this moment, I didn’t care. I loved the feeling of him and that he left a part of himself inside of me. As he lay there breathing hard, slick with the sweat from our bodies, and holding me to him as he nuzzled my neck, I didn’t care about anything else. Everything was Zico.  
When he could move again, he curled his body around mine, pulled the blankets up over us, and we slept.  
  
A couple of hours later, I woke up and I knew that Zico was awake too. His breath was blowing over my ear and through my hair which tickled my cheek. I turned over in his arms and lightly kissed his lips.  
“I think it’s time we get up and have some breakfast,” I said. I reached up and smoothed his hair down.  
“I’m not hungry,” said Zico.  
“When was the last time you ate?” I asked.  
“I don’t remember.”  
“That’s what I thought.” I ran my hand over his forehead and cupped his cheek. “Will you please try to eat? For me?”  
He grumbled. Then he said, “I guess I could eat some toast.”  
“Okay. Go have a shower and I’ll order something.”  
He didn’t like that idea either but he did it. When I raised the shades, I saw that his eyes were swollen and that he probably hadn’t seen daylight since the funeral. I also saw that the floor was littered with Soju bottles and he must have spent the first part of the week completely blitzed.  
He sat on the side of the bed with his eyes closed as I found some clean clothes for him. When he was in the bathroom and I heard the shower running, I went into the living room where I found Marco, just as I had left him. _Crap! I forgot about Marco._ I really hope this place has soundproof walls!  
I went over and patted his head. He pretended to hate that but I could see the grin pulling at the corner of his mouth and the twinkle in his eyes.  
“I’m sorry Marco. Zico needs a lot of comforting right now. I didn’t mean to ignore you and leave you sitting out here.”  
He looked at Zico’s bedroom door and whispered behind his hand, “It’s my job Miss.”  
I smiled down at him and patted his head again. Then I picked up the phone and ordered a huge breakfast. I had a feeling that once Zico had a little bit of food in his tummy, he was going to want more. A lot more.  
The food came before Zico came out so I set it out on the table and told Marco to go ahead and eat. He didn’t want to but he knew I wouldn’t stop until he did so he ate. Zico finally came out looking a lot better than before. When he saw Marco, I could tell he was thinking the same thing that I had thought. He came over and sat beside me at the table. I watched as he nibbled a little bit of toast and then took a drink of juice. Slowly, he took bigger bites and then grabbed another piece. This time he added some butter and took a small bite of a fried egg. I pretended not to notice as I ate my breakfast but I payed attention to everything he was doing. He put some hash-brown potatoes on his plate and a whole fried egg. Then he buttered two more pieces of toast and added jelly. When we were done, every bite of food was gone and Zico had a little more color to him than when he came out. I was very happy.  
“Would you like to watch a movie?” I asked.  
“I think I’ll just go lay down,” he said getting up from the table.  
I hurried to stop him. “No, you aren’t! If you want to lay down, you can lay out here on the couch with me!”  
“Elizabeth,” he whined as I took his hand and led him to the couch. I sat in the corner and laid a pillow in my lap. I pulled him down beside me and patted the pillow. He did as I asked.  
I turned on the tv and found a Running Man episode to watch. “Marco, will you please go in there and bring me a blanket?”  
I think Marco understood “blanket” because when he heard that word, he hurried into the bedroom and brought one out. I arranged it around Zico and he wiggled under it until he got comfortable. I ran my fingers through his hair and he closed his eyes. I pretended to watch the tv but all of my attention was really on Zico.  
All of a sudden he opened his eyes and said, “I don’t remember the last thing I said to her. Why can’t I remember? I remember seeing her and hugging her but I don’t know what the last thing I said was.”  
“The last thing you said was, ‘I love you very much,Vita’ and you kissed her on the top of her head,” I said  
“Are you sure? How do you know?”  
“I’m sure. I remember it clearly,” I said.  
“Okay, well that’s good. I’m glad it wasn’t something silly.” He laid his head back down but he didn’t close his eyes. I kept fluffing his hair.  
I noticed that Marco kept trying not to nod off. I scooted out from under Zico and stood up.  
“Where are you going? You aren’t going are you? Don’t go!” He sounded panicked.  
“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right back.” I went over to Marco and handed him my keycard. “Marco, I’m safe here with Zico. I want you to go to my room and have a nice long nap.”  
He started to protest but I put my finger over his lips and shook my head. “Don’t argue with me! Go now! And if you don’t sleep, I’ll know!”  
“Yes princess,” he said as he took the keycard. I walked him over to the elevator and patted his chest lovingly when he was inside. I’ll come down when I need you again. Sleep well!”  
“Yes princess,’ he said and the doors closed.  
I went back over to Zico and put his head back into my lap. I watched him out of the corner of my vision as he changed positions.  
“Wait! Princess? What is that?” he asked.  
“That is what I taught Marco to call me,” I said matter-of-factly.  
“What? Why?”  
“Why not?” I smiled.  
“He isn’t supposed to be talking to you,” he said.  
“Yeah, like that was gonna last,” I said.  
“He had better be doing his job and not be playing around!” said Zico.  
“I’m still alive aren’t I?”  
Zico mumbled something under his breath that I couldn’t understand and I should probably be glad. He rolled over to face the back of couch and a few minutes later I noticed he was crying again. I pretended not to see but I ran my fingers through his hair just the same. He fell asleep. I looked at him and wondered how I ended up here. _How did I end up in this situation? Look at this beautiful, heartbroken man who pretends to be such a hardass and hides this vulnerable soft side of himself from the world. Vita was right. She really knew him. He does have a gentle heart that needs to be protected. But am I the right person to be the protector of that heart? I mean, by all rights, I just met this man. Why is he opening up to me? He doesn’t know me. Not really._  
He only slept for about fifteen minutes and then he woke up with a sharp intake of breath and stretched. Without looking, he reached up and felt around on me. Then he leaned up and started tugging on me. With my help, he pulled me down until I was stretched out beside him. He laid his head on my chest and cuddled me with his arm and a leg. I put my lips against his forehead. His hair smelled really good. Zico always smelled expensive.  
He put his hand under my shirt and softly rubbed my belly. He moved his head up and nuzzled my neck, licking and nibbling behind my ear. I heard him whisper, “Kiss me.” So I did. It was a slow comfortable kiss. We just laid there and kissed for a long time.  
I knew that I wouldn’t get him out of the hotel anytime soon so I settled with laying here with him for the rest of the evening. Sometimes we made out and sometimes we just held each other. He told me some stories about Vita and about him and Taewoon when they were little. He asked questions about me. He showed me each of his tattoos and told me the stories behind them. I didn’t have tattoos to show him so I showed him my scars and told him the stories about them. We massaged each others backs and legs and tried not to become too aroused. I so failed at that but I didn’t let him know. He failed too but he couldn’t hide it so I didn’t say anything.  
Zico still cried a lot but I knew that he was healing and that tomorrow he might be ready to join the rest of the world. For tonight we pretended that it was just us.

 


	8. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Eight:: Human greed is endless and they repeat the same mistakes... (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth finds a little it of trouble. Well, it finds her... ***Trigger warning: Rape/Blood/Violence***

The next morning, I watched Zico sleep for a long time. He was so beautiful when he slept. So peaceful. The pain was gone for a blissful few hours as well as the heavy burden of the fame that he carried everyday. I silently got out of bed and left the room. I needed to shower and change clothes and I thought today was a good day to get Zico out of this hotel. We could go eat and maybe just walk around. As long as we were outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I also thought it might be good for him to do some kind of work. Work can be a good distraction.  
I got into the elevator and hoped it wouldn’t wake him. My room was just outside of the elevator and I expected to see Marco standing in the hallway since he couldn’t get back into Zico’s room but he wasn’t. Maybe he was still asleep. There was a man and woman standing a little ways from my door which I thought was odd since I thought I was the only one on this floor. I also didn’t recognize them but Zico had so many people working for him that it wasn’t that strange.  
I didn’t want to sneak up on Marco and catch him unawares or, heaven-forbid, naked so I yelled “Marco” through the door and listened. The couple gave me a strange look and I smiled at them. I heard a soft sleepy “Polo” and I knew he had been asleep. I put the keycard in the door and waited for the lights to turn green when I felt something poke me in the back and heard two creepy clicks. The couple were now standing behind me. The woman wrapped her hand into my hair and pulled my head back. She whispered into my ear, “You need to come with us honey. And be very quiet or my friend here is going to put two bullets into you.” She licked the inside of my ear and I shivered.  
I felt cold chills running through me and my stomach felt sick. I left the keycard in the door and turned around. The woman put her arm around my waist and started walking me down the hallway while the man kept the gun jammed into my back and walked closely behind us. My mind began racing. I thought of the death threats and how I had shrugged them off. I thought of Marco asleep and unaware that anything was wrong. Then I thought of Zico. Strange but I the thought that came to my mind was that he would blame himself when he had done everything in his power to protect me.  
Instead of taking the elevator, the woman led me to the stairs. I had been hoping someone would see us and know something was wrong but no one took the stairs. Three floors down, we went back into the hotel and took the elevator. On the fifth floor, Mya the makeup girl got on and smiled at me. She gave us a strange look but otherwise didn’t say anything. She was the last person I saw before I was walked outside and forced into a car. _I hope Mya got a good look at these two._  
In the car, the girl drove while the man sat beside me, holding the gun against my side. He kept calling her Red which I thought was strange since she was a bleach blonde. His name was Jack. _Jack the Ripper? Jack the Raper? Jack the Killer?_  
After just a few miles, we turned up a small alley street between two obscure buildings and it led to a dirt road. We traveled another mile when she pulled over and they told me to get out. I started to feel panicked. _Are they just going to shoot me and leave me here?_ I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I stumbled when I got out of the car. Jack immediately shoved me hard up against the car. I wished that I had worn pants. My skirt kept blowing up in the strong wind and I felt completely vulnerable.  
Red came up behind me and pushed her body against mine, pulling my head back again. “She’s such a pretty little thing,” she said and slowly licked my cheek. “But not pretty enough for Jiho. He needs a real woman.” She wrapped a cloth around my eyes and tied it tight. My hair got caught in the tie.  
“Don’t call him that,” I said.  
“What? Did you say something honey?” asked Red.  
“I said, YOU don’t get to call him that. He’s Zico to you.” On top of being afraid, I was also getting angry.  
She laughed a tinkly witch laugh. “Jack, give me the gun and you tie her hands. I can’t get them tight enough. Cut off the bitch’s circulation if you have to.” She moved away from me and Jack grabbed my wrists. He pulled my arms back and wrapped plastic handcuff strips around my wrists. They cut into me. Then he wrapped them in duct tape. My arms already began to ache. He reached around and squeezed my left breast. I wiggled out of his grasp.  
“Ooo, a squirmer. I can get into that,” he said as he pushed his arousal against my backside. I REALLY didn’t want to be raped before I was shot.  
Jack didn’t move away from me but Red told me to open my mouth and she stuffed something silky between my barely open lips. Then Jack put duct tape over my mouth and finally moved away from me. “Put her in the trunk,” I heard Red say and I started to panic again. I had a severe case of claustrophobia. Just being tied up this tight made me want to scream. In the trunk I would wish I was dead.  
Jack picked me up and I heard the trunk pop open. He wasn’t gentle when he dropped me inside and slammed it shut. My mind started to work as I heard them get in and start the car. I could smell exhaust and I knew that if the trip was too long, I was going to be in big trouble. _Like I’m not anyway!_ I also knew that some cars had an escape pull but this was an older car and probably didn’t have one. I tried my best to feel around for one but with no luck. The next best thing was to push the lights out and put your arm through. My arm was out of the question but I might be able to use my foot. We kept hitting holes in the road and I kept bouncing hard against something metal. I was having a hard enough time breathing and not freaking out without dealing with a concussion too.  
I felt around with my foot and found the light. I kicked as hard as I could and I heard a crack. I waited to see if the car would stop but they didn’t seem to have noticed. I kicked again and I felt the light give. I tried with everything I had to push my foot through but there was only a tiny hole in the metal and it was no use. My only hope was that the light was hanging out and a cop would see it and stop us.  
Breathing the exhaust was making me sick and sleepy. I wondered if the boys had realized I was gone yet. They had absolutely no way to know what happened to me. Maybe the hotel had security cameras. I hadn’t seen any but I hadn’t looked for them either. It wasn’t like Red and Jack had tried to hide their identity. Were they really that stupid? And why was the security at the hotel so lax?  
My thoughts were interrupted when the car stopped. I heard the car doors open and shut and then the trunk opened.  
“Hey Red! Did you know you have a taillight out?” I heard Jack yell. He pulled me out of the car and threw me over his shoulder. I tried not to move at all. I didn’t want to give him any ideas. I could feel the sunlight leave my skin when we went inside and I wondered if I would ever feel it again.  
“Just put her in there and lock the door. She’s not going anywhere,” Red said.  
Jack laid me on a bed and left. I heard the door lock. _Where am I now? Did they bring me home? Why haven’t they killed me yet?_  
After a little while, Red came in and sat on the bed. Then she laid beside me and twirled my hair in her fingers. “So, what is it about you that Jiho likes so much?”  
I tried to yell at her not to call him Jiho but it was no use. She couldn’t understand me. So I tried to pull my hair away from her. She just dug her whole hand in my hair and pulled. I stopped struggling.  
“Has he fucked you yet? I’ll bet you gave it up quick. A little nothing American like you would be lucky to be with Jiho and you know it. He’s had a real woman right in front of him for months and he has to go for the new piece of fluff. That’s all you were you know,” Red said as she began to run her hand up and down my arm. “You were new and simple and innocent. He always jumps all over that.” She got close to me and kissed my cheek, scraping her teeth against my skin. I felt like throwing up. “We’ll see how interested he still is tomorrow. How much will he pay to get his new toy back in one piece? I’d be worried if I were you. He gets bored quickly.”  
She sat up and got off the bed. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”  
I nodded. She helped me up and took me to pee. It was humiliating having her do the necessaries for me but it would be more humiliating to pee on myself. She took me and sat me on the bed and left. I laid down and cried until the cloth on my eyes was soaked and irritating. I had a terrible headache and felt like throwing up but I knew if I didn’t hold it down I’d have to swallow it. My mouth was dry from the silk in my mouth and my arms felt like they were pulling out of their sockets.  
I laid there for hours trying to sleep to ease my aching head but I couldn’t. I could hear Red and Jack talking but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I got tired of laying there so I got up to move around. I tried to see if I could find something sharp to rub this tape against so I could get my hands loose. There was nothing. Nothing I could find anyway.  
After a few more hours, the door opened again. I heard boots and knew it was Jack. I tensed up. Jack could do a lot more damage than Red could and I didn’t want to encourage him in anyway. My skirt was silk and I didn’t know if it was covering everything. _Please just leave. Please just leave. Please just leave._ I hoped that if I pretended to be asleep, he would leave me alone. But no.  
Jack laid down on the bed beside me. He just laid there for a few minutes and I still pretended to be asleep. I felt his hand doing something around my stomach and then realized he was putting it inside of my shirt. He ran his fingers across my skin and up to my bra which he moved to the side. He began to caress my breast and I started to cry and whimper. I knew what was coming and I didn’t know if I could stand it. I felt stomach acid began to rise in my throat. I moved back away from his hand and he laughed a scary little laugh. It was like he was trying to be quiet. _If he wants to be quiet then I’ll be loud!_  
He pushed me onto my back and half laid on top of me as he ran his hand from one breast to another. He raised my shirt so he could look at me so I started to scream. I screamed as loud as I could with my mouth full of silk but it must have been enough because Jack put one hand over my mouth and nose and the other on the back of my head and squeezed. “Shhhhh!” he said. “Be a good girl and stay quiet or I’ll have to cut you.” He moved his hand away and I felt cold metal touch my stomach. Then my neck. It was all I could do not to throw up. I tried to stay quiet but I couldn’t help but to cry. I think that turned him on actually.  
His hand went back to work on my breast and then he replaced it with his mouth. His hand slowly moved down and I could feel the heat and roughness of it as he rubbed my thighs. His breathing became labored and he stuck his hand inside of my panties. They must have been too tight for him to maneuver because he paused to pull them down around my thighs. He pushed one finger inside of me and then another. I know he was watching as he moved his fingers in and out. He pulled them out and I heard him lick them. I turned over to my side away from him and heard him unzipping his pants. “You want it from behind sweetheart? That’s just fine with me.” I tried to get off the bed and I knocked the knife in the floor as I struggled.  
“No you don’t!” He said and grabbed me and pulled me back.  
I heard the door open and Red yelled, “Jack! What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” She came over toward the bed and Jack tried to get up. I heard her smacking him and yelling, “That’s not why she’s here you asshole!”  
“Ow! Why do you care? Ow! Ow! Stop fucking hitting me! I was just having some fun.”  
She smacked him out of the room and slammed the door. She came to me and helped put my clothes back to right. She never apologized but I didn’t really expect it. For the rest of the night I could feel Jack’s fingers on me and in me. I wanted to think of Zico but it always became Jack so I stopped. I decided they didn’t plan to kill me. They just wanted money and I wasn’t so sure Zico would pay it. I guess it depended on how much they wanted. I wanted to be with Zico so much at that moment. I wondered what he was doing.  
  
Hours later, Red came into the room and helped me back to the bathroom. I was exhausted and sore. When I was done, she had Jack come in and take me back to the car. I shivered in revulsion when he touched me. He slapped my backside hard before he popped the lid of the trunk and I tried to kick him.  
“Wait, Jack! Put her down a minute,” Red said as she came toward us. “We need to give Jiho more of an incentive to pay up.” That’s when I felt like my head exploded. Red had punched me in the face. She pulled me back into a standing position and hit me again. “That should do it.” Jack put me in the trunk and I screamed as he slammed the lid.  
We rode for a long time when we came to a sudden stop and I hit my head on the metal again. I heard them get out and then I heard voices. It all sounded like I was under water. I think the exhaust fumes had messed with my senses. The trunk lid finally opened and I felt a cool breeze. Jack jerked me up roughly and pulled me out to a standing position. The cloth was removed from my eyes and I had to squeeze my eyes shut from the light. Everything was blurry. The gun was jammed into my side once again. Red grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me along to the front of the car. My eyes adjusted and looking around, I saw we were in something like a parking building or a construction site.  
“I said you were to come alone!” Red yelled.  
“Yeah right, bitch! Like that was going to happen!” It was Zico. I had to squint to see him but his white hair was unmistakable. I also saw Pyo Jihoon and Park Kyung beside him.  
“This still has to go down the same way Jiho! Money for the girl!” yelled Red.  
“It’s Zico to you bitch and I have the money. Let her go!” he yelled back.  
“Here’s what’s going to happen! I’m going to point this gun at your little American slut’s head and Jack is going to come over and get the money. When we are far enough away, we will leave her and you can come and get her.” I kept my eyes on Zico.  
“She’s not getting back into that car!” he yelled.  
Red grasped my hair at the scalp and shook my head. I cried out. “You will do this my way Jiho or I’ll take her and let my brother have her. He’s already had a small taste and he would love to have more.”  
I saw Zico throw down whatever he had been holding and start to take off his jacket. P.O. and Kyung held him back, talking him out of being irrational. “Let her go now and I’ll take her and go and leave the money here for you.”  
“You think I’m playing? Or stupid?” She hit me in the back of the head with the gun. It hurt so bad I heard a high pitched ringing sound and saw stars. I also heard Zico yell, “You fucking touch her again and I’ll rip your fucking heads off with my bare hands!” They were having more trouble holding him back this time.  
“I’m sending Jack over for the money,” Red yelled.  
“He better bring Elizabeth with him or he won’t be coming back!” yelled Zico.  
I saw Jack smile as he reached over and squeezed my breast. Then his hand ran down between my legs. I screamed and twisted away from him.  
“Fucking get away from her! Come and get your fucking money!” I heard the defeat in Zico’s voice as his last words went from a yell to an almost sob.  
At this point, things seemed to go in slow motion. Jack walked over to get the money as Red held the gun to my head. He walked back with a huge smile and handed an envelope to Red. “Thanks Jiho! You can have her now! If you still want her.” I watched Zico’s face become alarmed as he ran toward me and I heard the shot before I felt it. I saw blood come from my chest and I looked down. There was a red ragged hole there. I looked up at Zico and he was saying something I couldn’t hear because the loud ringing was back. I looked over as Red started to run but an identical hole to the one in my chest sprouted from her forehead and her blood splattered me. Her eyes were wide and staring at me as she fell to the ground, her blonde wig falling away, revealing long red hair. I turned and looked at Jack who was yelling something to Red that I still couldn’t hear. Then a hole appeared in his head as well. His blood dotted my face and I felt a scream rip from my throat as I started to fall. I was caught by Zico before I hit the ground and that’s when the pain started.  
I looked up at Zico and my hearing started to come back. He was sobbing and screaming, “Help me! Someone help me!” He looked down at my chest and covered the spreading blood stain with his hand. He rocked me and kissed my head.  
“I’m sorry Zico,” I said. My breathing was ragged and getting worse. I felt like I was drowning. It was getting harder to breathe.  
“No! Don’t you dare say that! And don’t call me Zico! Please call me Jiho! Please!” he stared into my eyes as people scrambled around us. I looked up at him and with the last breath I could force in I said, “I love you Jiho.”  
I felt my eyes closing and I knew that Zico’s face was the last thing I’d ever see. The last thing I remember was hearing him screaming, “Elizabeth! Noooooo! Elizabeth! Come back! Come back! Don’t leave me! You can’t leave me too!” Then all was silent.  
  
It was hard to open my eyes. They felt like they were taped down but I finally managed and the first thing I focused on was Zico’s white hair. It was tinged with a brownish orange now. His head was laying on the edge of the bed and he was holding my hand. His hand was the same brownish orange as his hair. He was sound asleep and snoring softly. I heard more snoring to the right of me and I found Marco on a couch, his head against the wall. He would be so upset to have fallen asleep. He would blame all of this on himself when it was really all my fault. I had to make sure he knew that.  
I raised my arm to put my hand on Zico’s head and pain shot from my chest to my hand. The mixture of bullet wound and pulled shoulder muscles made for a bad combination. I laid my hand on his head anyway and scrunched my fingers in his soft hair. I looked at the dried blood on his face and the tear marks that left white streaks down his face and I wondered, _What kind of man is this? Who is the real Zico? He’s too good to be true. And too good for me._


	9. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Nine:: I still don't tolerate jerks messing with me! (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All about Red and Jack, seeing Master Pao again, and Whatever happened to Jong?

As it turned out, Zico knew Red and Jack very well. They had been security guards on his personal guard detail. Red was the mastermind because apparently Jack was as dumb as dirt but he was her brother and he would follow her orders. Her primary goal was to get Zico for herself. When he treated her like the rest of the staff and showed an interest in the new clothing stylist, Red became furious. She wanted revenge. She knew that I had gotten death threats so she came up with a plan to not only get revenge but to make some money out of the deal.  
Marco barely remembered me knocking on the door that day but he woke up soon after and found my keycard in the door and he knew something was wrong. He called Zico who immediately had the hotel searched and the staff questioned. They finally got to Mya who told them that I had left with Red and Jack. She thought it was strange that they were in plain clothes and that Red had a blonde wig on but she figured we were going out on our day off. Being security guards, it had been easy for them to shut off the alarms and the cameras in the building and to move in and out of the people without notice.  
The hotel received a ransom note that told Zico how much money they wanted, where and when to meet them, and what they would do to me if he didn’t do what he was told and if he didn’t come alone. I didn’t know if they had always planned to shoot me but it may have been because he wasn’t alone. I also didn’t know if they would still be alive if they had just left but what I did know was that Marco knew how to use that gun on his hip. He was a crack shot and he might be cute and sweet but he was also deadly.  
The bullet had gone cleanly through me, just missing my right lung by a centimeter. If Zico hadn’t yelled when he realized what they were going to do, I wouldn’t have moved and I would most likely be dead.  
Zico asked me repeatedly what Red had meant about her brother and he demanded I tell him exactly what he did to me. I told him that she was lying. I never plan to tell him about what really happened. I would rather tell a lie to Zico than for him to be haunted with the fact that Jack practically raped me. He didn’t need that. Jack was dead. It was over.  
Everyone of Zico’s staff, along with the hotel staff had new background checks done. He even had them do another check on me. On me! Security guards were restricted to where they could go. The security office was off limits to everyone but a few guards.  
There were still open death threats against me and Zico was taking no more chances. He barely let me out of his sight even though he had gone back to work. I even started drawing up some new outfits for his events. I was stuck in the bed with nothing else to do, so Zico said I might as well make myself useful. I guess I was the one who said work is a good distraction. And I was right. I got a lot done and he said it was some of my best work.  
Even though Zico had just come out with “Blood of the Dragon”, he started writing three new songs. He said he had really been inspired by all of the things that had just happened. I was glad that something good was coming out of all of the sadness. I know one song was called “Vita”. He recorded some of it for me to hear. I didn’t know what to expect and I was really surprised when I heard it. It was a beautiful ballad and Zico thinks he can’t sing but he has such a melodic voice. Vita would have been so proud of him.  
  
My door opened and in walked Zico. I no longer got mad when he just let himself in. The opposite actually. Every time I saw him, my heart beat faster and I couldn’t help but smile.  
“How are you feeling today Tutti Frutti?” he asked as he sat on the end of the bed.  
“I was good until you called me Tutti Frutti.” I smiled at him. “The doctor said I can get out of the bed now.”  
“Does that mean I can put you back in it when I want to?”  
I didn’t know what he meant at first. Then I got it. “Um, not yet I’m afraid. My activity is still limited.”  
“Damn!” He leaned over and planted a kiss on my knee and then looked up at me with a devilish smile. “I’m getting pretty lonely.”  
I ran my hand through his hair. Mya had told me that Zico never let anyone touch his hair. It was a big No No but I told her I did it all of the time and he didn’t say a word. She said, “Figures.” and rolled her eyes. I never figured out what that was supposed to mean.  
He sat up and said, “I got a call from Master Pao today.”  
“Really? Is that odd?” I asked.  
“Sort of but he heard about what happened and he wants to see you.”  
“Me? Why?”  
“He said he can help you heal faster.” Zico laughed.  
“And what do you think?” I asked.  
“I don’t know. He knows every type of martial arts there is but beyond that, he’s usually full of crap.”  
“Okay, let’s go.”  
“Huh?”  
“I wanna go. There has to be some reason he called. Let’s go see what he has.”  
Zico just looked at me.  
I looked back at him.  
Standing up and taking his cell out of his pocket, he shook his head, pushed a couple of buttons and said into the phone, “Hey, pull my car around front.”  
  
By the time we got to Master Pao’s little house, Marco looked sick. He hated riding with Zico. Everyone did. He got out first and held my door closed until he made sure I wasn’t in any danger and then he helped me out of the car. I was healing but I was still very sore.  
Zico opened the door without knocking and just went in. _That boy is never going to learn manners!_  
Master Pao came from a backroom with a curtain over the doorway. He ran softly with tiny steps and he wore the cutest little pointed slippers I had ever seen. He closed his eyes and bowed in front of us. We bowed back.  
“Come with me.”  
We followed him behind the curtain. He poured a yellow foamy liquid into a glass and handed it to me. “Drink,” he ordered.  
Zico took it from me and smelled it. He winced. “What in the hell is this Master Pao?” he asked.  
Master Pao jerked it out of his hands and gave it back to me. “Drink!” he said as he gave Zico an annoyed look.  
I smelled it and it did smell noxious. It was definitely alcoholic. I took a sip and it burned my tongue. I looked at Master Pao and he just closed his eyes and nodded slowly so I took a drink and it took my breath away. It burned all the way down. I coughed but he just waited patiently for me to finish it so I downed the rest just to get rid of it. I thought I could feel fire spreading throughout my body.  
Zico took the glass from me again and licked the few drops that were left. “Master Pao! What is this crap? What did she just drink?”  
Master Pao squinted his eyes at Zico and said, “It’s ginger beer. I made it and it will help her with the pain.”  
“I’ve had ginger beer and this is not ginger beer!” said Zico.  
“Jiho! Do not question me!” I didn’t know such a big voice could come out of such a little man.  
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful Master Pao. I’m just very protective.”  
“Then why does she have a hole in her?” he asked.  
Zico looked down and I got mad. I had already started to feel the effects of the alcohol. “Master Pao!” I slurred. “Zico did everything. I went out alone. It was my fault.” I started to feel dizzy and Zico took my hand.  
“And what were you doing?” Master Pao asked Zico.  
“He was sleeping,” I said.  
“And what were you doing?” Master Pao asked Marco. Marco looked panicked.  
“He was sleeping too.” I said.  
“I see,” said the little man. “Don’t question me!” he said to Zico and pointed to a little bed, low to the ground and in the corner. “Lay her down there,” he said.  
Zico looked defeated but he did as he was told. I laid down on my back which was good because I felt like I was going to fall. He was right about the pain though. I didn’t feel my bullet wound at all. My whole body felt floaty and I could hear a humming. Eventually I realized it was me. I was humming “Vita”.  
When I looked at Master Pao, I saw three of him. He opened my shirt and tucked the sides into my bra straps. I saw Zico look at Marco and Marco turned around. Zico looked uncomfortable but he didn’t say anything. Master Pao began pushing on different spots on my chest and my shoulders and neck. I could barely feel it but Zico looked concerned. He still kept his mouth shut because he knew Master Pao would throw him out otherwise.  
After a few minutes, the little man began massaging a red substance onto the stitches of my bullet hole. Zico smelled it too and then looked like he would throw up. I still heard humming.  
Master Pao put a bandage over the site and taped it up. “Turn over,” he instructed. I did. Once again, he pulled my shirt down to uncover the bullet hole in my back. He poked around a bit and then put more of the red stuff on this wound and bandaged it. “Now you will heal,” he said getting up from his little chair.  
He watched as Zico helped me to stand up and put my shirt back the way it was supposed to be.  
“What was that stuff Master Pao?” Zico asked.  
“It is a magic medicine I learned how to make from a two-hundred year old shaman. It heals everything.” He closed his eyes and nodded. Zico turned to me and rolled his eyes.  
As we were leaving, Master Pao gave Zico two bottles of the “ginger beer” and said, “In the morning, she will have great pain. She must drink one of these bottles. In the evening, she will again feel great pain. She must drink the second bottle. The next morning, she will be almost completely healed and the pain will be gone. Next week, you will bring her to me and I will teach her Krav Maga. This will never happen to her again.” He closed his eyes and nodded then he turned and slammed the door.  
  
On the way home, I was still feeling good and drunk. I kept leaning against Zico so that Marco couldn’t see and running my hand up his thigh. He would put my hand back in my lap and say, “Stop that.” I would do that again and he would do the same thing. I reached over and rubbed his crotch and he jumped and swerved. He pulled my hand away and put it back in my lap. “Marco, could you hold her arms down please before I wreck and kill us all?”  
Marco didn’t want to but he did it because he was already afraid of Zico’s driving without the added distraction. Since I couldn’t play with Zico, I played with Marco. “Marco?”  
“Polo.”  
“Marco?”  
“Polo.”  
“Marco?”  
“Polo.”  
“O-Kay! That’s enough of that,” said Zico and he turned on the stereo.  
“Boo! I hate this song. Boooooooo!” It was “Blood of the Dragon”.  
“Marco, put your hand over her mouth,” said Zico. He did and I bit his hand.  
“OW!” he yelled and let go.  
“That’s what you get Marco!” I said a little too loud. “You are supposed to be mine. Not Zico’s!”  
“ELIZABETH!” yelled Zico.  
It startled me and I sat back in my seat.  
“Hush and settle down until we get back to the hotel!” He was still yelling.  
I just looked at him for a moment. Then I said in an almost whisper, “Or what?”  
He gritted his teeth and sighed a long sigh. “Or I’m going to put you over my lap and spank your ass that’s what!”  
I looked at him long and hard and decided he wasn’t kidding. I prodded him anyway. “Is that a threat or a promise?”  
“Yes,” he said.  
I was so drunk I didn’t know when I was in danger. “You wouldn’t dare,” I said.  
“I wouldn’t huh?” he asked.  
“Nope.”  
“Keep it up and tomorrow you’ll need that beer more for your ass than your bullet hole,” he said.  
I reached over and turned the stereo off. Zico calmly turned it back on. I waited a minute and turned it off again. He looked at me and smacked the button. A song I had never heard before came on. I started hitting all of the buttons.  
“That’s it! Marco, hold her arms and if you let go you’re fired! And YOU are gonna get it when we get back to the hotel!”  
I struggled against Marco but he didn’t let go.  
  
At the hotel, Zico moved Marco away from my door and helped me out of the car. Before I could say a word, he wrapped his arm around my head and put his hand over my mouth. He walked me to my room like that and when anyone would stare at us he would just say, “Look away!” and they did. When we got to my room, he left Marco in the hallway. When he shut and locked the door, he turned and stared at me. It was a scary look. He began walking slowly toward me and I started backing away.  
“I know that you are drunk so I’m going to give you one chance to apologize to me.”  
“For what?” I kept backing up.  
The corner of his mouth went up in frustration as he kept walking toward me.  
“For taunting me in the car.”  
I ran out of room. My back was now against the wall and I looked for a way to escape from either side. My body was still buzzing from the beer and I knew I was saying things because I was drunk but I couldn’t stop myself. This was a different kind of drunk than I had ever been. I knew I should stop pushing him but my mouth wouldn’t cooperate with my brain. I looked him in the eyes as he reached me and I said, “I’m not sorry.”  
Before I knew what was happening, Zico had grabbed me, sat on the bed, and put me over his lap. Holding me down with one hand, he began to spank me with the other. He wasn’t kidding around. Each time his hand hit me, it felt like fire. I fought him but it was no use. I screamed, I begged, I yelled for Marco. All I heard through the door was, “Polo”.  
When it was over, Zico was breathing hard and he just laid back on the bed. I laid across his lap and tried to bite his leg but I couldn’t reach it. Finally, he sat up and moved me. “Go to bed,” he said and left.  
I didn’t even change my clothes. I took off my shoes and got under the covers and in seconds I was sound asleep.  
  
That night I woke up with a horrible headache. Zico was sitting in a chair by my bed, leaned back against the wall, eating peanuts and watching a comedy that he apparently found hilarious. Seeing the peanuts made me think of something. “Zico?”  
He looked over at me, still laughing and chewing. “Yeah?”  
“What happened to Jong?”  
He stopped laughing. “Why do you care? And why are you asking about him now? Did you dream about him? Do you miss him?”  
“No, nothing like that. I just thought about it and he sort of disappeared,” I said. I sounded groggy.  
“No he didn’t. He’s doing some work in China.” Zico went back to eating his peanuts and laughing.  
“I see,” I said and turned over and away from him.  
I heard Zico sit up in the chair and turn off the television. He nudged me over so that he could get into the bed. Bending himself around me, he wrapped an arm around my waist and laid his head against my back. He softly said, “What made you think of Jong?”  
“The peanuts,” I said.  
“The peanuts?”  
“Yeah. That night we went to the play, I ran into you in the elevator and you were eating peanuts,” I said.  
“I was?”  
“Mm-hm. Can I ask you something else?”  
“Yeah,” he said.  
“Who was that girl you were with?”  
He laughed. “Did she bother you?”  
“A little,” I said.  
“Good,” he said.  
“Zico! Who was she?”  
“Okay. She’s a rapper friend of mine. She had been asking me out forever so I knew she would go. And she’s built like a brick…”  
“I saw! You can stop now!”  
He laughed again.  
After a few minutes of quiet I asked what I had really wanted to know. “Did you sleep with her?”  
“Did you sleep with Jong?”  
“No. You know I didn’t,” I said.  
“He says you did. He said you couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel so you went down on him in the car.”  
I turned around to face him. I couldn’t believe it! “He did not say that!”  
“Yep. He was very detailed about the whole thing. He said that you were all over him all night and that you couldn’t get enough. He also said that you swallow.”  
I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say. I was livid!  
“That was when I sent his ass to China to work,” said Zico.  
“He was lying Zico. You know that right?”  
“I don’t know. You looked like you were going to have sex with him in the balcony.”  
“I did that to bother you! On the way back to the hotel, I made the excuse that I was on my period. That’s when he tried to get me to … you know… and when I wouldn’t, he walked me to my room and that was it!”  
“Why? Why would you tell him no? I know you liked him.”  
“Not at that point. I had figured him out by then,” I said.  
“Hmmm…” said Zico.  
“You know he wasn’t here that night Zico. You came in and searched the room. Remember?”  
“Yes. I remember that part of the night very well.”  
“What does that mean?” I asked.  
“I got so fucked up that night that I don’t remember most of it. Me and Kyung and Jihoon went to every bar we could find. I think they carried me back to my room. The next thing I know, I’m getting a call that you were stopped from leaving the country and that they were putting you in protective custody. That’s when I came to get you. I was still pretty wasted at that point,” said Zico.  
“I didn’t sleep with Jong. I never did. I spent the rest of the night sitting in the floor and wishing you would come back. When you didn’t, I felt like I couldn’t face you so I left.”  
“I should have,” he said.  
I didn’t understand. “Should have what?” I asked.  
“Come back.”  
Zico’s hands began moving over me. He pulled my body up close to his and he kissed me. It was a long sweet kiss. I loved his kisses. They were always deep and passionate and made me feel like he wanted to devour me. I put my head on his chest and he put his chin on top of my head.  
“Did you know that Jong got me a phone at the same time you did?” I asked.  
Zico laughed.  
“I know. I returned both of them,” I said.  
“He never got it,” said Zico.  
“What? Why?”  
“I got it first. When he got to China, he tried to call you.”  
“Why did you get that phone? How did you get it?” I asked. I was confused.  
“It was with mine at the front desk and I saw that one so I took it too.”  
“Zico! You have to stop invading everyone else’s privacy! And how do you know he tried to call me from China?”  
“It started ringing so I ripped it open and answered it,” he said.  
“Oh my gosh. What did he say when you answered?”  
“He was surprised but he asked for you. I told him you were in the shower,” he said.  
“I guess he thought that was strange,” I said.  
“He knew what I was saying. Especially when I told him he was right. You really do swallow.”  
“What! I can’t believe you did that! Zico!”  
His body was shaking with laughter.  
We spent the rest of the night talking and kissing. Finally he fell asleep and I watched him for a long time before I fell asleep too.


	10. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Ten:: They say too much passion can be harmful (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth gets drunk on Master Pao's cure and causes Zico so much grief...

Master Pao may have been full of crap about some things but he wasn’t wrong about the pain I would have the next day. When I woke up, my chest, shoulder, and neck hurt from the bullet hole and Master Pao’s manipulations. My head and stomach hurt from the hangover I got from the “ginger beer”, and my butt hurt from the spanking I got from Zico. Every time I moved I wanted to cry.  
Zico had fallen asleep in my bed and he woke up when he heard me cry out. He didn’t say a word. He breathed in a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and went to the mini-fridge to get me the first bottle of “ginger beer” I would need that day.  
It was much better cold but it still burned like fire going down. I didn’t care. If it would stop the excruciating pain I was feeling, I would endure it. After the initial burn, it was easier to get the rest down so I chugged it to get rid of it fast. I started to feel the effects at once. The pain subsided and I could feel my brain getting fuzzy.  
Zico said as he put on his shoes, “Well, I guess you’ll be drunk all day so I’m going to go do some work.”  
I grabbed his hand as he stood up and kissed it. “Don’t leave me.”  
“I have things to do. Marco will be right outside the door.” He pulled on his hand but I wouldn’t let go.  
“Don’t leave me,” I said and pulled him towards the bed.  
He closed his eyes, put his head back, and whined, “Elizabeeeeth… I have to goooo.”  
I pouted. “Okay. Kiss me before you go.”  
My head was reeling. I found that “ginger beer” had weird effects on me at different times and today it had made me very cheeky. I wanted nothing more than to pull Zico into that bed, strip him down, and make love to him for the rest of the day. When he leaned over to kiss me, I tugged as hard as I could and threw him off balance. I giggled when he half-fell, half-jumped over me and into the bed. He laughed too. I crawled on top of him and kissed him deeply. When I sat up we were both out of breath.  
“Elizabeth, I can’t do this.” His hands were running up and down my thighs.  
I leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Yes you can. I want you too.” I licked his ear.  
Zico moaned and then rolled over on top of me. “No. I can’t. You’re drunk and I don’t take advantage of drunk girls.”  
“Kiss me,” I said.  
“Sorry. If I do I might not be able to stop.” Zico shook his head.  
I reached down and caressed him between the legs. “Please?” I begged.  
He closed his eyes and made a sexy noise deep in his throat. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t,” he said more to himself than to me.  
I squeezed him tighter  
“Dammit Elizabeth!” he said and then kissed me. It was a long slow kiss. His hands moved up my body and then my arms until he was holding my hands above my head. Pulling out of the kiss he looked at me and then said, “Nope. I’m not doing this.” And then he stood up.  
I gave him a pouty look. “I want you so much Zico.”  
“That’s the beer talking, not you,” he said.  
“Fine. Guess I’ll have to get someone else to satisfy me. Wonder if Jong’s b..”  
Before I could finish the sentence, Zico was pushing me back into the bed. “That had better be the beer talking too or someone’s getting another spanking!” He kissed me again. “And don’t ever let me hear that name come out of your mouth again. Do you hear me? I’m not joking around. I never want to hear about him again, Elizabeth.”  
“Yes sir. I’m sorry.”  
Zico got up and started for the door. “I’ll be back later. Just find something to keep yourself busy and be a good girl.”  
I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t promising anything.  
Zico left and I was bored. I didn’t want to stay in the hotel all day but I didn’t know if Marco would take me out. I staggered as I walked over and opened the door. I looked to make sure Zico was gone. He was. “Marco?”  
“Polo?”  
“No, listen. I need to go out and get some things. I’m going to get dressed and I need you to call and have a car ready.”  
“Sorry Miss Elizabeth. I can’t.” He hated telling me no and I could see it all over his face.  
“Yes you can, Marco. Just call the front desk and tell them we need a car.”  
“Mr. Woo will fire me. We must stay here.”  
“Please Marco? I need to get something for Mr. Woo. It’s a surprise,” I lied.  
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”  
I shut the door. _Crap! I need to get rid of Marco._  
I came up with a plan as I put my clothes on. The beer took away the pain but it also made it hard to do anything. It was alcohol after all. I couldn’t tie my shoes so I tucked the strings in the sides. I didn’t realize it then but my shirt was on inside-out. I only had on one sock.  
I hated to do this to Marco but it was his fault really. At least that was how my drunken mind saw it. I called the front desk and said, “I have an urgent call for Mr. Kim Marco. It’s an emergency.” I heard, “Hold please.” I laid the phone down and went over to the door and listened. Marco’s cell phone buzzed and he answered. Then I heard him talking. It was all in Korean and I didn’t know what was going on so I waited. I heard him talking to someone outside the door and then it got quiet. I waited a minute and then I opened the door. Another security guard that I knew as Dong Ki was standing there.  
“Oh, hi Dong Ki. Where’s Marco?”  
“He had an urgent call. I’m just waiting for him to come back.” He always looked so uncomfortable when he talked to me and he wouldn’t look me in the eyes. Dong Ki was a total breast man. He tried not to stare at my chest but he was always unsuccessful.  
“Oh well, can you walk me to the vending machine please? I really need a drink.” I smiled at him.  
“Um, I’m not supposed to leave. You should wait for Kim Marco to return.”  
“No, you aren’t supposed to leave ME. It’s okay to walk me to the vending area and back. As long as you’re with me it’s okay.”  
He looked around and tried to decide what to do. “Well, I guess that will be okay. But we need to hurry.”  
“I promise.”  
I shut the door and hoped that Marco didn’t see us. Or worse, Zico.  
Dong Ki walked in front of me all jingly-jangly from the keys on his hip. He was an older man that had been with the hotel for a long time and I really hoped I didn’t get him in any trouble. I knew I was walking like a drunk person and I tried my best but the hallway kept swaying. He turned to look at me with a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright Ma’am?”  
“I’m fine. I’m just a little sick.”  
Luckily, we made it to the vending area without seeing anyone. I pretended that the money wouldn’t go into the machine, which wasn’t much of a stretch since, in my drunken state, I saw three slots instead of one. Dong Ki offered to do it for me as I had hoped. I had stuck a coin into the slot so I knew that the bill wouldn’t go in. As the security guard tried and tried to make it work, I silently walked backwards until I came to the stairway door. I went inside and watched through the little window as he noticed I was gone, panicked, and began searching for me. He got on his cell phone and I could see he was shaking. I felt so bad. I watched until he walked away and I made my way to the back entrance. I knew how to get to the parking garage from where I was and that it would be easy to get out of the hotel from there. It was.  
I hailed a taxi and told him to take me to the closest mall. As I sat there, I knew that Zico would be worried and I didn’t want that but I also didn’t want to call him and get yelled at. I called Marco.  
“My God! Miss Elizabeth! Where are you? Come back immediately!” Marco sounded more panicked than I had expected.  
“I’m fine Marco. I told you I needed to go out. I’ll be back soon. Don’t tell Zico okay?”  
“Don’t tell Zico what?! That you are a little sneak that still has death threats against her? Or that you are going to get the spanking of your life when you get back here?”  
 _Oh crap!_ It was Zico.  
“Hi sweetie.”  
“Don’t sweetie me! Get back here now!” He was really angry.  
“Zicoooo,” I whined.  
“NOW! I almost had a heart attack! You were just kidnapped and shot and then you go and do this to me? You’ll be lucky if I ever let you out of my sight again after this!”  
“I’m tired of being locked up in the hotel Zico. I just wanted to go out for a while. I’ll be okay for a little while. I won’t be long.”  
 _What’s he going to do? Come find me?_  
“Elizabeth! Don’t make me come after you! You won’t like that one bit I promise!”  
“Hang on,” I said and held the phone away as I paid the taxi driver and climbed out of the car. The mall was huge! “I’m sorry Zico. I’m here and I’ll only be a little while. I’ll buy you something.”  
“Why are you doing this to me? You’re not thinking straight. You’re drunk and I don’t know what in the hell that stuff does to you to make you so fearless and willful but we are going to have a talk with Master Pao! Please come back right now. Please? You don’t know how terrified I am. Don’t do this to me.” He sounded like he was trying not to cry.  
“Don’t worry about me. No one knows who I am out here.”  
“Listen. If you come back right now, I’ll take you out. I promise. We’ll do whatever you want,” said Zico.  
“I just let the taxi go Jiho. I can’t come back.”  
“Where are you? I’ll come and get you.”  
I thought about it. “I won’t have to stay in the hotel all day?”  
“I promise!”  
“You won’t spank me?”  
“No.”  
“I’m at the mall,” I said.  
“Which mall?”  
I looked but there was no name on it. “It’s a big white building. I told the driver to take me to the closest mall.”  
“Okay. I know where you are. Stay right there do you hear me? I’m coming to get you.”  
“Okay.” I started to hang up when I heard, “Don’t hang…” but it was too late. I had hit the button.  
My phone rang and I answered it. It took a couple of tries to hit the button but I got it. I heard, “Don’t hang up!”  
“Okay,” I said and sat down on a bench beside a little old lady. She smiled at me and gave me a tiny wave so I did the same to her.  
“I’m on my way. Are you outside?” he asked.  
“Yes. I’m sitting on a bench with a sweet little old lady,” I told him.  
“Good. Just stay with her, okay?” He still sounded panicked.  
“Okay but I don’t know her.” My mind was getting fuzzier. It was getting harder to make complete thoughts and sentences. “I think I’m getting drunker Jiho.”  
“Just stay there. I’m getting close.” I heard him tell Marco to call Master Pao.  
Even just sitting there, the world started moving. If I looked at the ground, it got closer and then farther away, closer and farther away. I didn’t realize it but I had laid my phone down on the bench. The little lady looked concerned. “Are you okay honey? You look sick,” she asked and put her hand on my arm.  
“I’m drunk,” I said and she raised her eyebrows and let go of my arm. She scooted a little farther from me.  
I could hear “Blood of the Dragon” playing but I couldn’t find it. I was getting so sleepy and my eyes started to droop when a bus pulled up in front of us. The little lady got up to get on and I remembered Zico telling me to stay with her so I got on too. I followed her to the back. As I started to sit down, I saw Zico walk up to the platform where I had just been. He was turning around in circles and yelling something but I couldn’t hear it clearly. It sounded like my name but I wasn’t sure. I watched as he put his phone to his ear and then swirled around to face the bench I had been sitting on. He went over and picked up my phone. After looking at it for a second, he threw it down onto the platform and it shattered.  
Zico bent over and put his hands on his knees and then he stood up and I saw him get in Marco’s face and I think he was yelling at him. I didn’t see anymore because the bus pulled away. I turned around and sat down and looked over at the little old lady. She was looking back at me with a strange look on her face but I just smiled and patted her arm. My eyes were too heavy to hold open anymore so I let them fall and then I was asleep.  
  
I don’t know how long I was out but when I woke up, it was dark and I was in pain again. A lot of pain. Master Pao had said I would have pain in the morning and in the evening and he was right. The little lady was gone. Probably long gone and I was mostly alone on the bus. I couldn’t remember why I had gotten on the bus and I couldn’t find my phone. I needed to call Zico. I didn’t know where I was and it was hard to move without crying. _What in the heck did I do? Was I that drunk?_  
I only remembered bits and pieces of the morning. I remembered being in bed with Zico and him kissing me. I remembered walking down the hallway behind Dong Ki. _That’s weird. Why was I with him?_ I also remembered being in a taxi and I remembered following the little old lady onto the bus although I didn’t know why I had done that. Now here I was with no phone and no memory of why I was here. _Was I robbed? Why wasn’t Zico or Marco with me? I need to have a talk with Master Pao!_  
I didn’t know what to do. The bus stopped and two people got on. I needed to get off of the bus and find a phone. I tried to stand up but I couldn’t. Not without passing out from the pain. One of the ladies had sat a few seats up from me and I got an idea.  
“Excuse me ma’am? Do you speak English? Excuse me?”  
She turned to look at me. “Yes. I speak English.”  
“Do you have a cell phone I could use for a moment?”  
She looked me up and down. I thought she was going to refuse but she pulled out her phone and came back to sit near me. “Is it an emergency?” she asked.  
“Yes ma’am. It will only take a minute. I promise I’ll give your phone right back. I can pay you if you’d like.”  
“That isn’t necessary.” She handed me the phone. That’s when I realized I didn’t know Zico’s number. It had always been in contacts on my phone, all of my contacts actually, and I didn’t remember the actual number. _What do I do now?_ I looked at the phone and then I decided to call the hotel. I didn’t know that number either but I knew the name of the hotel. I used her phone to look up that number and it had an automatic dial button on the website. I pushed it and sighed with relief. I closed my eyes when they answered and said, “Hi, I need to speak to Woo Jiho please.” They asked my name. “Just tell him it’s Elizabeth. He’ll take the call.”  
There was a pause then, “You do know he has police and basically everyone else looking for you don’t you?”  
“What? Oh no. Can you put me through please?” _I’m in so much trouble._  
“You’ll have to call his cell. He’s also out looking for you.”  
“Do you have that number? I lost my phone and I don’t have it.”  
They gave me the number and then said, “Where are you anyway?”  
“I’m not sure. Thanks for the number.” I hung up and immediately dialed Zico.  
He didn’t answer because he didn’t know the number. I hit redial. This time he answered. “Who is this?”  
“Zico?”  
“Elizabeth? My God Elizabeth! Where are you? Are you okay? Where in the hell are you?” He sounded scared.  
“I’m not sure where I am. I’m on a bus and I can’t move. I’m in a lot of pain. What happened Zico? What did I do?”  
“You did the Elizabeth thing. I think you’re trying to kill me. What bus are you on?”  
“I don’t know. Wait, hold on…” I asked the lady next to me what bus we were on and where it was going to stop. She really looked at me strangely then but she told me. I told Zico and I heard him tell someone else.  
“We are on our way. Just stay there. Don’t move! Do you hear me?”  
“Don’t worry. I couldn’t move if I wanted to.” Zico wanted me to stay on the phone but the lady wanted her phone back so I hung up and gave it back to her with some money. She tried to refuse the money but I insisted. A few minutes later, I heard siren’s and the bus pulled over. A policeman got onto the bus and talked to the driver. They looked back toward me and the policeman got off of the bus.  
Finally, after about twenty minutes, Zico’s white hair made an appearance and I watched as he got onto the bus. He looked around frantically. When he saw me, he ran to me like he couldn’t get to me fast enough. Seeing the stricken look on his face hurt my heart and I began to cry. Without thinking, he pulled me into a tight embrace and I cried out from the pain, My upper half screamed in agony and I saw dots before my eyes. I think I almost passed out.  
He became more gentle and slowly laid me back against the seat. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I forgot.”  
“It’s okay.” I tried to smile at him but I think it looked more like a grimace. “You didn’t bring that other bottle of ‘ginger beer’ by any chance did you?” I laughed a little and felt like I would die.  
“I don’t think you should have any more of that crap!” he said.  
“I have to Zico! It takes the pain away and I think it’s going to work. Master Pao has been right about it so far.”  
“Let’s just get you home first. Can you walk?” he asked.  
“There’s no way. Every time I move I feel like I’m going to pass out.” I felt like I might anyway. The pain was getting worse.  
“I’m going to have to carry you. Will you be okay?”  
“I don’t think I have any other choice. I really don’t want to be carried out on a stretcher,” I said.  
When Zico picked me up, he tried to be as gentle as possible but the pain was still too much for me. I tried not to make noise but the more he moved, the more it hurt and I couldn’t help but cry. Mercifully, I passed out. I woke up as Zico was putting me in my bed.  
“Are we back already?” I asked as he covered me up.  
“Yep. You lay there and rest.”  
“I need that other bottle Zico. Please? I have faith in Master Pao.” I wanted the pain to go away.  
“Why? He’s the one that caused all of this. He’s crazy.” Zico leaned over me, putting his hands on either side of my head and looked at me.  
“I don’t think so. I think I will feel better tomorrow. If I don’t, then we can blame him. Please?”  
He thought it over and then leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Alright. But I’m not leaving this room and I may end up having to tie you to the bed.”  
“Ooooo…” I said.  
“Ha Ha. Funny. I’m not kidding,” he said as he got the last bottle for me.  
It hurt to lift my arm but I needed that “ginger beer”. Zico saw me struggling and helped me to drink it. The fire began to spread throughout my body and the pain started to lift. The relief I felt was enormous. The feeling was almost better than sex. Almost. I closed my eyes and cuddled down in the soft bed to enjoy the bliss of having no pain. Zico laid down next to me and sighed. I looked over at him and he had his arm thrown across his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said.  
“For what?” I was confused. I had been the one to cause all of the trouble.  
“For not staying with you this morning. For keeping you locked up like a prisoner. For not keeping you safe. For messing up everything I try to do for you.”  
“Zico. None of that is true. It’s all been my fault. All of it. You’ve done nothing but protect me. I’m the one that’s sorry.” I started to get really hot and I flung the blankets off of me.  
“Nothing else is going to happen to you. I’m going to make sure of it. If I have to send you home to the U.S. I will.”  
I started to sweat so I took off my shirt. “That won’t be necessary,” I said. “Unless you are tired of having to look after me and want to be rid of me. I wouldn’t blame you at all.”  
“It’s not that and you know it. It would kill me to send you away but I would rather have you a half a world away and safe than in my arms and in danger every day.”  
“I’m not going,” I said bluntly. I started wiggling out of my pants.  
Zico looked up finally and said, “What are you doing?”  
“I’m really hot. I think it might be part of Master Pao’s cure but I’m burning up,” I said as I finished taking off my pants.  
“Here we go,” said Zico.  
“Can you turn on the air conditioner? Please?” I asked.  
He did. “It’s going to be freezing in here,” he said as he went to the desk and sat down.  
“Where are you going? Come and lay with me?” I flirted.  
“Not a chance! Not with you half naked and drunk,” he said.  
“Zico. Please. I’ll put a sheet over me, see?” I pulled the sheet out and wrapped it around my middle.  
He looked over at me and scrunched up his face and then grudgingly came over and laid down next to me. “This is going to be a long night.”  
It was. He didn’t touch me all night. And I could tell he really wanted to.


	11. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Eleven:: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth and Zico have a fight and then make up in the best way.

The next day when I woke up, I was extremely happy. All of the pain was gone and I barely felt the bullet wound. I went to the mirror and pulled off the bandage that Master Pao had put over the hole and I was shocked. It looked like it was almost completely healed. I was going to have to hug his neck. Tight!  
Zico was already gone so I went to have a shower and put on some fresh clothes before he got back. I couldn’t wait to show him how great Master Pao’s cure had worked. I could barely remember anything about what had happened the day before but I knew it wasn’t good and I was hoping we could forget it happened and move on.  
Zico wasn’t back when I got done so I decided to go up to his room. I pressed my ear to the door and, hoping my body guard wasn’t too mad at me, I said, “Marco!” There was nothing. _Uh oh. He’s mad._ I tried again. “Marco?” Still nothing. I needed to go out and make him laugh. That wasn’t hard to do because he could be such a big teddy bear if you knew where to tickle him. When I opened the door and stepped out, I ran into a wall. It wasn’t really a wall but he could have been mistaken for one.  
“Excuse me? Where is Kim Marco?” I asked the giant man standing at my door.  
“Kim Marco no longer works here,” he said in a monotone. He didn’t even look at me.  
“What? I mean, WHAT? He doesn’t work here? Of course he does! He’s my body guard!” I said.  
“No longer.”  
“No longer? What are you, a robot?” I asked standing in front of him and looking up to see his face. He didn’t respond. “Okay, then who in the hell are you?” I asked.  
“I am your new body guard. I’m not to tell you my name or to give you any personal information. Please go back into your room.”  
I was furious and I knew exactly who I needed to yell at! “Oh, I’ll give you a name! And I promise, you won’t like it!” I walked over to the elevator and hit the button.  
“Please go back into your room,” said the robot man.  
“Sorry. I’m going to see Zico. But feel free to stand there and guard my underwear drawer if you’d like.”  
“If you don’t reenter your room, I’ll have to forcibly place you there,” he said. He still hadn’t looked at me.  
“You go ahead and try it mister. If you touch me, I’ll do my best to turn you into a woman!”  
He still didn’t look at me but he moved around uncomfortably. The elevator door opened and I stepped in.  
“I have strict orders not to let you out of your room or to leave for any reason.”  
The doors began to close as I was saying, “I don’t give a flying fu….”  
I had had enough of men controlling me and telling me what to do. I appreciated the body guard and the protection but I wanted Marco! The door opened into Zico’s suite but I didn’t see him. I stormed in and now I was in a rage.  
“ZICO! GET OUT HERE NOW!” I yelled.  
He came out of his bedroom with a towel around his middle and brushing his teeth. “What?” he asked as he squinted at me.  
“Where’s Marco, Zico?” I asked.  
He pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth. “He screwed up so I fired him. Now you have Kihyun.”  
“I don’t want Kihyun, Zico! I want Marco!”  
“Tough.” He put his toothbrush in his mouth and walked back into the bedroom.  
I chased after him. “Get Marco back! Today! I mean it!”  
He stuck his head out of the bathroom and said, “Or what?”  
I didn’t know what to say. “Or…or…or I’ll…”  
“You’ll what?” he asked.  
“I’ll never speak to you again,” I said. I knew it was lame.  
He rolled his eyes and went back into the bathroom. He came out wiping his mouth. “Well, if your mad about that then I might as well tell you that I had Dong Ki fired too.” He smiled at me.  
I couldn’t believe him! “WHAT! Get them back, Zico or I swear!”  
“You swear what?” He dropped his towel and I turned my head. “Stop trying to threaten me and stop acting like you haven’t seen me naked before.” He pulled on a pair of briefs. Tight little black ones. I sneaked a peek. I might have been mad but I still appreciated his body.  
“Zico, Dong Ki did nothing wrong. He’s been here forever and he’s a great security guard. It wasn’t his fault I tricked him.” I turned back to face him when I heard him zip his pants.  
“Elizabeth, he was tricked by a drunk girl. How great can he be?”  
“He didn’t know I was drunk. He was just doing what he was told. He deserves his job back,” I said.  
“He was always leering at your breasts. That was enough reason to fire him,” said Zico as he pulled on a red t-shirt.  
“He looked at everyone.”  
“That’s unacceptable,” said Zico. He sat on the bed to put on his shoes.  
“And Marco killed two people for me! That man would die for me!”  
“You were way too close to him. Besides, he lost you twice,” he said. He stood up and came over to stand in front of me. He pushed my hair behind my ear and I shook it back loose.  
“Yes, we were close and that was why he would do everything in his power to keep me safe. And he didn’t lose me. I got myself kidnapped and he thought there was an emergency the second time. He didn’t just leave. He put a guard in his place,” I said and backed up a step.  
“He was asleep when you were kidnapped!”  
“So were you! I was with YOU then! Remember?”  
Zico put an arm around me and pulled me to him. I tried to pull his arm away but he was too strong. “You’re very sexy when you’re mad. You know?”  
“Get off me!” I was still trying to pull away.  
“It’s cute how you think you can get away from me.” He laughed a low sexy laugh and put his face close to mine as if he was going to kiss me.  
“Get Marco and Dong Ki back!” I said. I was getting more and more angry.  
“Give me a kiss and I’ll think about it.”  
He was lying and I knew it. “Get them back and I’ll kiss you again,” I said.  
“Come here,” he said as he tried to put his mouth on mine and I dodged him. He laughed and let go. Going to the dresser to get his things, he said, “You’ll get used to Kihyun. He can be your new play thing.”  
“He’s a flipping robot, Zico. And I’m not kidding. If you leave here without promising to get those two back, I won’t speak to you again.”  
He walked over to me and put a finger under my chin and rubbed my bottom lip with his thumb. “That’s okay. It’s easier to kiss you when you aren’t talking.” He bent over to kiss me and I turned my head so he kissed my cheek. “I’ll be back. Go play with Kihyun.”  
Zico walked out and when the doors of the elevator closed, I flopped on his bed and pushed my face into his pillow and screamed in frustration.  
  
I didn’t go back to my room because I didn’t want to see Kihyun again. I laid on the couch and watched t.v. and waited for Zico to come back so I could punish him by not talking to him. I didn’t know where he went or how long he’d be gone and I got bored really fast. I wanted to go down to get my portfolio so that I could work on some new outfits for Zico’s upcoming events but I thought I might end up kicking Kihyun in the nads when he tried to stop me from coming back up. I looked around for something to do when I noticed Zico’s computer. “I could look up some stuff and get ideas,” I said to myself. Actually, the temptation to see what was on there was too great to pass up.  
When I turned it on, the first thing I saw was a big black dragon with bloody claws. His desktop was a mess. There were icons everywhere and they had strange labels. I had expected a password but there wasn’t one. A calendar of upcoming schedules popped up in the lower right corner. He had an event in two days that I didn’t know about that seemed cryptic. It said DECISION DINNER WITH BB. There was a file labeled BLOCK B and one labeled BLOOD OF THE DRAGON. I found one named VITA and I knew that was her song. Then I found one just titled E. I opened it and different things started popping open. There were pictures of me, background checks, videos of me on GOLD AND DIAMONDS, and then there were some things written in Korean that I couldn’t read with just ELIZABETH written at the top. It looked like a song. _Did he write a song about me?_  
There was a calendar. On the day I began working with Zico it said, “Interesting”. On the day when I had trouble with Craig, the magazines stylist, Zico had written, “She’s going to be trouble”. Then there was “Jong’s in China! FOREVER!” I laughed at that one. I noticed a gold star on the date of the first time we slept together. On the day I was kidnapped it said, “The day I died” and on the next day when I was shot it said, “The day they died”. _He’s such a drama queen!_ I thought. On yesterdays date it said, “Should I send her home?” That made me sad and to be honest, a little afraid. Looking at it made my heart speed up. _I don’t want to go home and leave Zico._  
I heard the elevator so I started closing files as fast as I could. I clicked on the online button and instantly a porn video popped up. The elevator doors opened and Zico slowly walked in, looking around at me with an amused look on his face. “Really Elizabeth? Porn? You can have the real thing anytime you’d like. You just have to ask.”  
My mind went blank as loud sex noises filled the room and Zico started to laugh. I couldn’t remember how to cut it off and he walked over to look at the screen and said, “Hey, this is one of my favorites!” I found the block button and hit it and then remembered how to cut the website off. “Hey! You just blocked that one!” he said.  
I had so many witty retorts but I wasn’t speaking to him so I couldn’t use them. It was quiet for a second and then Zico started laughing. He laughed harder and harder while I bit my lip trying not to. He came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed. Then he let go quickly and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot. Did I hurt you?”  
“No. Master Pao’s cure worked. I’m good.”  
“Sit up. Let me see.” He began pulling my shirt backwards. Even though I was mad at him, I still let him look. My shirt began choking me so I reached up to unbutton a few buttons when Zico pushed my hands away and said, “Let me.” He unbuttoned the top three buttons and gently pulled my shirt back. “This might hurt a little,” he said when he started to take off the bandage. “Wow! I can’t believe it! He was right!” I started to pull my shirt forward to button it when Zico said, “Wait. What’s the hurry?” and he pulled it back again, pushing my bra straps down off of my shoulders.  
I sat there, closed my eyes and breathed out a long sigh. “Did you get Marco and Dong Ki back?” I asked.  
“Will my answer determine whether your shirt stays on or comes off?” he asked.  
“Yes.”  
“Do I have to answer?” he asked.  
I jerked my shirt forward and started buttoning it.  
“Wait, wait, wait…” he started to say.  
I got up and moved away from him. “I’m not talking to you or doing anything else for that matter until you bring them back,” I said. I went over and sat on the couch, turning on the t.v.  
“Or anything else?” he asked.  
“You get nothing!” I said.  
“Well damn!” he said and went into the bedroom. When he came back out he sat on the other end of the couch and pulled a carton of beer out of a bag. He pulled out a green bottle and opened it, taking a long drink. He kicked off his shoes and propped his feet on the table as he leaned back and looked at me. “Nothing?”  
I didn’t even look at him.  
We sat in silence while he went on to drink four of the six beers. I couldn’t even say what had been on the t.v. because all of my attention had been on Zico. When he was in the room, I couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything else. Finally, I got hungry and went to the kitchen to see what there was to eat. I found some ramen and decided that would be good enough. I went to the sink to get some water when I felt Zico come up behind me. I hadn’t even heard him.  
He wrapped his arms around my waist and put his face in my hair. I pushed at his hands but he kept putting them back as fast as I could move them away. I turned the water off and tried to go to put the pot on the stove but he held me there. Moving my hair to the side, he began kissing the back of my neck. I waited for him to get the message that I wasn’t going to reciprocate. He never did.  
He pulled me closer and closer until I could feel his arousal through our clothes. His hands moved up to start unbuttoning my shirt but I put my hands around his and held them tight so that he couldn’t. Twirling me around to face him, he cupped my face hard with his hands and kissed me, forcing his tongue into my mouth. He was lucky I didn’t bite him. Pushing my hands away, he began unbuttoning my shirt and once again I held his hands. He pulled away and looked at me. Then, without warning, he reached up and ripped my shirt open. Buttons flew in all directions with little tinkles against metal. He pulled my shirt down over my shoulders enough to trap my arms at my sides and then as he kissed my neck, he ripped at my bra. It took him three tries but he ripped the delicate lace away from my body, exposing my bare skin to him. His mouth found mine again as his hands roamed my body. One hand slipped around my breast as his thumb rubbed back and forth across my nipple.  
I tried not to kiss back but he was making it so difficult. He kissed me deeper while he worked on the button and zipper on my pants. When he couldn’t get them to cooperate, he just ripped them open too.  
“Zico! Stop!” I said and tried to push him away.  
He grabbed my wrists and held them down against the sink. “No. You don’t get to keep this away from me after all of the crap I’ve gone through! You don’t have to talk to me but it isn’t fair to use this against me too.” He let go of my wrists and picked me up to sit me on the edge of the sink. His hands went to my hair as he pulled my head down to his and kissed me again, slower and longer.  
When he broke the kiss and started taking off the rest of my shirt, I said,“Bring those two back and you can have whatever you want.”  
“I’m going to take it anyway. I think I’ve earned it,” he said. He pulled me from the sink and pulled his shirt off over his head. That’s when I tried to move out of his grasp. “No you don’t,” he said and pushed me against the refrigerator. “You know you want this as bad as I do.” He began licking my neck. He was right. I did but I was also stubborn and I didn’t want to give in.  
“If I say no then it’s rape, Zico.”  
“Then don’t say no,” he said. He put my hands over my head and held my wrists with one hand while he pushed my pants down with the other. His mouth was finding it’s way to my breast which was my weak spot. And he knew it. When his mouth closed over my nipple and he began to gently suck and then he put his hand inside of my panties and slowly pushed one finger inside of me, I knew I had lost. I gave in. _I’ll find another way to punish him!_  
A moan escaped from deep inside of me and I felt him smile against my breast as he made his way to the other one. Letting go of my hands, he began pushing my panties down and I worked on removing his pants. When I finally let myself give in, I couldn’t get to him fast enough. I wanted him. All of him. He finished taking off the rest of his clothes and I put my arms around his neck. When he stood back up, I brought him down for a kiss of my own and this time it was my tongue exploring his mouth. He became frenzied. Turning me around and pushing me against the fridge, His hand cupped my breast and he pushed himself into me. I cried out and he grabbed my wrists again. He raised my hands as high as they would go and pushed his body tight against mine as he thrust deeper and deeper into me. The fridge was cold against my skin but he was hot behind me and the contrast was extremely erotic. He kissed and nibbled at my back and shoulder as he went in and out of me.  
All of a sudden he pulled me away from the refrigerator and, slinging the plates off of the table, he pushed me face down and went even deeper into me. I held onto the edge of the table as he got faster and harder. It hurt because of his size but it was also sexy having him so deep inside of me. I thought he would finish this way but he pulled away from me and then picked me up. Zico carried me to the bedroom, kissing me and doing to my mouth with his tongue what he had been doing to me against the table a few seconds ago.  
He was surprisingly gentle when he laid me on the bed. He put his arms under my knees and raised my legs as he went into me again. His mouth went to my neck and as he licked me, he got faster and faster and began making small sexy sounds in his throat. I didn’t realize how close I was but I came loudly. He laid his cheek against my breast as his thrusting got slower and deeper and then he climaxed just as loudly as I had. I held him tight and ran my fingernails across his back.  
Zico pulled out of me and with his arms wrapped around me, he laid back and took me with him. We didn’t speak, just listened to each others heavy breathing.  
  
After a while, Zico got up and led me to the bathroom. He turned on the water in the shower and tested it’s warmth before pulling me in with him. The water felt really good as Zico stood behind me, rubbing a bar of soap all over me. He kissed my neck and I closed my eyes. His fingers brushed the stitches and he asked, “Does it hurt?”  
“Not anymore,” I said.  
“What does it feel like to be shot?” he asked and kissed my shoulder. The hand with the bar of soap found it’s way between my legs. It was cold against the hotness there.  
My breath caught a little before I could answer but I said, “At first it didn’t feel like anything. I heard the shot and then I saw a hole appear in my chest. I didn’t feel it until I was on the ground and you were holding me. Then it felt like pain going from the wound and reaching out to all of the parts of my body and I couldn’t breath. Everything got fuzzy and then I couldn’t hear good and then it all went dark. I thought you would be the last thing I saw and I was okay with that.”  
He had his arms around me and his cheek against my shoulder as he listened. I could feel his breath. “What did Jack do to you?”  
“I told you, he didn’t do anything. Red wouldn’t let him,” I sort of lied.  
“Then why did Red say that he had?” His cheek was still against my shoulder which made his words come out funny.  
“She was just trying to make you angry.”  
“He didn’t rape you?” he asked.  
“No.”  
“Do you promise?” he asked.  
 _Please don’t ask me to promise. I can’t promise on a lie._ “Zico, he didn’t do anything. It’s okay. I’m okay.”  
“What about Jong? What did he do to you that you haven’t told me?”  
“I thought we weren’t talking about him anymore,” I said.  
“So there is something?” Zico picked his head up and then put his cheek against mine. I laid my head back against him as he stood there holding me.  
“You saw everything that Jong did to me at the theater. Well, he kissed me one other time but that was all. Nothing else happened between me and Jong. I promise.”  
“If something did happen, please tell me now. I don’t want to find out later that the things he said were true,” he said.  
“He lied. He never made it past my doorway and nothing happened anywhere else. The things I let him do at the theater were to bother you. If you hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have even gotten that far.”  
He squeezed me tighter and I could feel him smile. He started rubbing the bar of soap around my body again and then he dropped it and put his hands over my breasts. They were soapy and slid around on my skin like silk. I reached up with both hands and ran my hands through his hair to give him better access. He caressed me softly all over and I wanted him again. I turned around and bent down to get the soap. I could see he wanted more too. I ran the soap up his legs and over his backside and when I got to his chest, he pushed me against the shower wall and kissed me. I put my arms around his neck and slid my body over his. Picking me up, he wrapped my legs around his waist and entered me completely with one stroke. I put my head back and cried out. He went slow until the end when we both came as hard as we had in the bedroom.  
He put me down and leaned against me, pushing me into the shower wall, until he caught his breath. Then he turned me around and washed my hair. When he was done, I washed his and he began squirting shaving cream on me in naughty places. I took the can and did the same to him. We laughed as we starting putting it on each others noses and drawing clothes onto each other. When the can was empty we had laughed so hard our stomachs hurt. Then we kissed for a long time. “You are changing me you know,” he said.  
“Huh? What does that mean?” I asked.  
“You’re making me soft.”  
“I thought I made you hard,” I said and smiled.  
“Well, yes, but you know what I mean, smartass.” He smacked my butt.  
“I like you soft. And hard. I like you any way I can get you,” I said.  
“And you do,” he said and looked down shyly.  
“Do what?” I asked.  
“Have me.”  
  
We got dressed. I had to wear one of Zico’s hoodies to cover the fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra. I never went without a bra and it felt weird. I wanted to stop at my room and get some of my clothes but Zico said I was fine. I think he liked that I wasn’t wearing a bra.  
“Where are we going?” I asked.  
“First, we are going to eat and then we are going to get my hair dyed,” he said and pushed the elevator button.  
“What? But I love your hair! Why?”  
“I’ve had this for a while and it’s time for a change. It will be like your having sex with a different man!” He smiled down at me.  
“I don’t want to have sex with a different man!” I loved his white hair.  
“You’ll like it,” he said.  
The elevator was taking a long time.  
“Zico? Please, please, please bring Marco back. I need him. I trust him. He’s my puppy bear and he knows how to play all of our games,” I begged.  
“That’s weird,” said Zico. The elevator doors opened. “I’ll tell you what. If you go down on me in the elevator and make me come before we reach the lobby, I’ll bring back Marco and Dong Ki.”  
“Are you serious?” I couldn’t believe that was what it would take.  
“I’m dead serious. I’ll warn you though, I’ve already come twice today and it won’t be easy. You’re going to lose.”  
“You think so huh? Okay. You’re on. You promise you’ll bring them back and get rid of robot mountain?”  
“I promise. I’ll even give you a head start.” He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and pulled them down to mid-thigh.  
“Alright but I get to do whatever it takes to win!” I said and stepped onto the elevator.  
“Okay. But you have to swallow.”  
I took off the hoodie and Zico’s eyes became huge. “Deal!”  
The elevator doors closed as I got on my knees.  
When the doors opened again in the lobby, I was smiling and Zico was leaning against the wall breathing hard.  
“I win!” I said.


	12. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Twelve:: You're all I see and you're all I need (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zico shows Elizabeth how he feels about her...

Life was really really good. I was almost completely healed. I was back at work and having some great ideas. I had my Marco back. And best of all, I had Zico! He had three events this week: a meeting with Block B that I didn’t have to dress him for but which I got to sit in on, an interview and photo shoot for a big named magazine, and an awards show broadcast. His hiatus hadn’t seemed to slow him down or interrupt his progress whatsoever. “Blood of the Dragon” had made it into the top ten but the latest song on his album to come out was number one on almost everything. It was called “The Titan”. _He’s so cocky!_  
I fretted the entire time that the hair dresser messed with Zico’s hair. I was going to miss his white hair. He just kept telling me to calm down and that I would like it and he was right! It had gotten a little long and they dyed it a gorgeous brunette color and since he had it done, I haven’t been able to stop playing with it. He hates to have his hair touched but he lets me do whatever I want to it with no complaints. He’s sweet that way but he doesn’t want anyone to know it.  
He must have been feeling really good because after we left the hair dresser, he bought me three new outfits. Of course he picked them out but I liked them all. I think he likes spoiling me. Or having someone to spoil. I don’t know which it is and I don’t care as long as it’s me he’s spoiling. All of the outfits were dresses which made me wonder if Zico was trying to tell me something because I rarely wore dresses. The first one was a long silky blue dress with a high empire waist that seemed to shove my breasts up to my chin and show them off at the same time. The second was a shorter yellow dress with a balloon skirt. I felt like a bell when I wore it but it also made me feel floaty and light. The third was a very short, very tight, very revealing red racy dress. It wasn’t me at all. I didn’t know where he thought I was going to wear these things but I’m sure he would tell me. He was good at telling people what to do.  
Zico was back to being an idol. He was on the phone most of the time that we were out. I didn’t realize that one of those calls was for me and when we got back to the hotel I had another surprise waiting for me. Zico was grinning all the way home but he wouldn’t tell me why and when I stepped out of the car my heart swelled near to bursting. There stood my big mean teddy bear! I jumped out of the car and ran right into the arms of that big mountain!  
“Marco!” I yelled.  
“Polo!” he said as he hugged me.  
“Okay, cut it out!” said Zico as he came around the car. “At least act like a body guard.”  
Marco straightened up and let me go but he had a smile on his face that he couldn’t get rid of.  
I ran to Zico and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you so much Zico! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” I squeezed him tight.  
He laughed a little and hugged me back. “Well, you did win and I never welsh on a bet. Especially a bet like that.”  
I blushed.  
In his broken English, Marco said, “I will not fail you again Miss Elizabeth. I will protect you with my life.”  
“You never failed me Marco and I know you will.” I would have hugged him again but Zico was giving me a warning look.  
“Don’t let anything happen to her Kim Marco. Whatever happens to her will happen to you. Got it?” said Zico.  
Marco nodded.  
“Zico!” I exclaimed.  
“Shush! This is business between me and him. You have him back but I pay him and he’s still on thin ice with me,” said Zico.  
I gave him my best angry pouty face.  
“Don’t give me that look!” he said.  
  
That night, with Marco standing guard in the hall, Zico made me model my new dresses for him. He sat on the sofa drinking Soju and told me to walk over there, walk over here, twirl fast, twirl slowly, sit, stand, and bend over (which I refused to do). I thought he would prefer the red dress but when I came out in the yellow dress, he smiled and sat up a little. He directed me the same as with the others and then he had me come over and stand in front of him. Reaching under the dress, he put his fingers under the waistband of my panties and slowly pulled them down and then told me to step out of them. I did as I was told. He pulled me down until I was straddling his lap and he kissed me. His hand slid up my thigh and he slipped a finger inside of me. He never broke the kiss as he worked me toward an orgasm. I don’t know why he was so good at what he was doing and I wasn’t going to ask. I would rather think it was natural instinct than to think he had that much practice.  
Just before I came, he stopped what he was doing and I whined out loud. He frantically untied the string on his pants and pulled them down. In one move, he slipped himself inside of me. I leaned forward and took control. Pushing him back into the soft couch, I held onto his neck and moved myself up and down on him as I nipped at his neck with my teeth. I tortured him with slow movements and enjoyed the tickling feeling I got in my stomach every time he begged me to speed up.  
I ran my tongue around his ear and nibbled his earlobe, tugging on his earring with my teeth. I would speed up my movements and then slow down to a steady rhythm. I took in all of him and rocked back and forth, squeezing him from the inside, as I watched his face. It was so sexy to watch him squeeze his eyes shut and grind his teeth knowing that I was the cause of every look that crossed his face. I gently licked his lips and then slipped my tongue in his mouth. He tasted like Soju and mint and Zico.  
I didn’t stop my slow torture as I grabbed the remote from the side table and turned on the stereo. A rock-mix of “Very Good” by Block B began to play. I sped up my rhythm to match that of the song, grinding into him faster and harder and biting into his shoulder, leaving little teeth marks. His arms went around my waist and he tried to force me to move the way he wanted me to but I had decided this was my show. I felt my climax building so I became faster and as I came, he gripped me tight and pushed himself deep into me, finding his release at the same time. He cried out louder than I did. He held onto me and laid his head on my chest, breathing hard and saying things to me in Korean that I didn’t understand.  
Without letting me go, he stood up and carried me into the bedroom and put me down. He cut off the lights and it was so dark that you could almost feel the blackness. I heard him moving around and knew that he was getting undressed. Then I felt him searching for the zipper on the back of my dress. He pulled the silky material from my body and I shivered. We got onto the bed and I listened as he opened a drawer and felt around for something. When he found it, it got quiet except for a squishy sound that I couldn’t identify and then I felt him put a hand on my stomach. He began rubbing an oil all over me. It smelled like a spicy candy and it felt warm. If his breath touched the oil it became hot. He took a lot of time on my breasts, massaging the oil into my nipples and blowing on them to heat up the oil. It was very erotic and made me tingle in another hot place.  
He moved down to my thighs and the whole time he was whispering things in Korean. I couldn’t believe how aroused I could become from a massage and sexy words I couldn’t understand but I felt like I could come from just his touch on my skin. If he had touched me intimately, I wouldn’t have lasted a second.  
When I was completely covered in oil and tingling all over, I took the oil from him and pushed him down into the soft blankets. I put his arms over his head and poured some of the oil into my palm, rubbing my hands together I started with his shoulders and chest. I did to him what he had done to me but I licked his nipples before I rubbed the oil into them and them blew across them. I heard a soft gasp come from him and I couldn’t help but smile. I loved giving him pleasure. Of any kind. I worked my way down and ran my tongue around his bellybutton and put tiny wet kisses all around his stomach. The wetness seemed to enhance the hotness of the oil.  
As I moved down, I found that the oil seemed to have the same effect on him as it had on me. He was very hard and it was all I could do not to run my tongue down the length of him. I didn’t want to touch him there without permission and I didn’t know if the oil was safe to go there but I didn’t want to break up the moment with a question. Either he is a mind reader or I must have paused too long thinking about it because Zico said, “It’s okay. Go ahead.” I put both of my hands around him and he groaned. I smoothed the oil all over his hardness and he began to pant. I knew it was all he could do to hold back and I didn’t know how long he was going to last. With one hand, I slid the oil over the softness I found below and I guess it was a little too much for him. With a roar, Zico sat up and pushed me face down into the bed. He raised my hips and drove himself deep into me and with a roughness he didn’t usually use, he pushed into me over and over harder than he ever had. The oil has as hot inside of me as it was outside. As he came, he continued to move in and out of me. He roared again as he pulled my hips tight against him one last time and I felt him throb deep inside of me.  
He fell back onto the bed, panting hard and making noises with every exhale. He pulled me into his side. Wherever our skin touched felt silky.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I?” he asked through gasps of air.  
“No,” I lied. It had hurt but not in a bad way.  
“I don’t think I’ve ever lost control like that,” he said.  
I smiled into the pillow. I loved that he felt that way about me.  
“And don’t think I’ve lost count,” he said.  
“Huh?” I was confused.  
“I know you didn’t come. I’m not done with you yet!”  
“I wasn’t keeping score, Jiho,” I said.  
“Sure you were. Girls always do.” He laughed a low sexy laugh.  
“Not true!” He was right. We do.  
“Let me catch my breath and then you are gonna get it,” he said.  
I had to laugh at that. And I was a little nervous.  
He was softly rubbing one of my nipples back and forth and it was driving me crazy. Then all of a sudden, he sat up and I heard him get back into the drawer. I could tell he was opening a cardboard box. “I bought you something.”  
“Something else?” I asked.  
“You’re going to love this gift!” He kept tearing open the box and then I heard the snap of elastic. My eyes got big as I wondered what in the heck he was going to do to me. “Lay back and open your legs for me.”  
I did as I was told but I was crazy with anticipation. I jumped when he moved over between my legs and put his hands on my thighs. Something cold and smooth was on one of his fingers. When he squeezed my thighs, the thing began to vibrate. _Oh my gosh!_ I thought. I put my hands over my eyes in complete embarrassment even though he couldn’t see me. I squealed into my hands and shook my head back and forth and Zico laughed again. He lay down and gently pushed me open. He widened his tongue and rubbed it back and forth against me until he dipped it into me and moved it around inside of me in circle after circle. I continued to squeal. I lost my breath and clenched the blankets in my fists.  
He moved his tongue back up to flick it back and forth against the part of me that he knew would make me come. Then he stuck two fingers into me as he licked me. One of them was vibrating and my eyes rolled back into my head. I tried not to move my hips too much but it was getting harder not to. He pulled them back out and stuck his tongue into me and put his finger where his tongue had been. I came. I came harder than I had ever come. I screamed and jumped wildly. He moved his head back but he kept his finger where it was. I thought I would die. When I thought it was over, another wave of orgasm hit me and I screamed again. “Jiho! Stop! Stop! Please stop! I can’t… I can’t…” I couldn’t complete a thought, much less a sentence.  
Finally, he came back up to lay beside of me and I started to cry. I never understood why people said they cried after sex but I knew now. He wrapped himself around me and held me close. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern obvious in his voice.  
I nodded. “I’m sorry I cried. I don’t know why I did. It was great. More than great. I can’t describe it.”  
“It’s okay. I know why you cried. I felt like crying too.”  
I couldn’t have been happier than I was in that moment. I was in the safest place in the world and I felt like I had everything.  
“Elizabeth?” Zico asked.  
“Hmm?” I sighed.  
“If I tell you something, please don’t use it against me. It’s really hard for me to say.”  
I started to get a little anxious. “I would never do that, Jiho.”  
“Okay. Well, uh, I think I’m falling in love with you.”  
I didn’t expect that. I don’t know why but that was the last thing I expected. “Jiho?”  
He paused then said, “Yeah?”  
“I’m in love with you too.”


	13. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Thirteen:: It's hopeless for me to live as a gentleman today (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter can be summed up in two horrible words... Alicia Wright!

The next morning, Zico had a breakfast meeting with the other members of Block B. They met in one of the conference rooms at the hotel and Zico had breakfast delivered. I was just meeting the rest of the boys and they were a lot different than their image. They were all sweet, and a little quiet, and very polite. Zico had warned me that they might be a little rowdy but they weren’t that way at all. When I mentioned this to him he just said it was because there was a woman present. B-Bomb, who I learned is really Minhyuk, made a plate for me. Jaehyo sat beside me and whispered dirty little secrets about the other members and some even included him. He showed me pictures on his phone as proof that he wasn’t making it up. Kyung and Jihoon talked mostly to Zico while Ukwon sat quietly and nibbled at his food. Minhyuk filled his plate twice and sat on my other side, listening to Jaehyo and making corrections to the stories that he was a part of. Taeil sat on the other side of Jaehyo and made corrections to the rest.  
When the managers and directors and all of the official people showed up, the actual meeting began and I took a seat in the back of the room. Everything was in Korean and I didn’t understand any of it. A very sweet woman named Young Lee came and sat by me. She didn’t seem to be there in any official capacity either and she would tell me the gist of what was being said. They were discussing the creation of a new album, how many and what songs were to be included and if the boys had anything they had been working on that they wanted to try to put on the album. They all seemed a little surprised and very interested when Ukwon said that he had something he had been working on. Also Jihoon and Kyung had things they wanted to contribute. Zico said he had several songs ready to go for the entire group. _When does he find the time to write?_  
They wanted a whole new concept and look for the group for this comeback. They didn’t necessarily want to change their image that much, just show another side to their craziness. The potential name of the album was going to be “In the Wake of Madness” and they wanted most of the songs to be a little wild. They were reentering the system after a long hiatus and they wanted something that was going to be eye and ear catching. Something that said that Block B was back and they were there to take over.  
Zico said that he wanted me to work with the groups stylist to come up with their new looks and the whole room turned to look at me. I guess Zico forgot that I don’t speak Korean and didn’t understand that they wanted my agreement so I know I must have looked like a deer in headlights. Young Lee whispered to me what they had said and I said, “Oh! Yes! Of course. I would feel privileged to work on that. Thank you.” I don’t know if they understood but they nodded and smiled and went back to their meeting. I’m sure they understood yes so it was all good. _I’m going to kill Zico!_ I thought and glared at him. He didn’t see it so it didn’t do any good. Then they said something else that I more or less ignored except for the name Alicia Wright. When her name came up, I noticed a lot of people look over at Zico. He just looked down at the table. Kyung leaned over and said something with a very serious look on his face and Zico just shrugged. Young Lee once again whispered to me that they had changed their last stylist and that Alicia Wright was going to be the one working on this comeback and that I would be working with. I felt very intimidated. She was a huge name in the fashion world and I was essentially a nobody. _Well, I wanted to make contacts and I couldn’t make a better one than Alicia Wright!_  
After that, they started talking a lot of boring business stuff so I sort of checked out. I looked around the room at all of the people gathered and I could see why the seven boys of Block B were stars. They stood out among all of the others. They all had a uniqueness that made them almost shine, even in everyday clothes.  
When the meeting was over, they all agreed to meet up that night at Club M, the same club that Jong had taken me too. I made a comment to Young Lee that I would be skipping the party when Jaehyo came up behind me and said, “You might want to reconsider. You should go.”  
“I’ve been there and it really isn’t my kind of place. But thanks,” I said.  
“No, I mean, you really should go. Alicia Wright is going to be there,” he said.  
“It’s not really the atmosphere that I’d like to meet her for the first time in. Thanks for trying to help me though,”  
“I AM trying to help you. Alicia used to date Jiho. She was completely obsessed to the point that he had to break it off and that’s when she left and we got another stylist,” whispered Jaehyo.  
“I see,” I said.  
“You should go. He broke up with her but he didn’t really want to. She has a way of digging her claws into him and making him do whatever she wants. For some reason he just goes along with her and she always seems to get what she wants. The only reason he broke up with her last time was because she was affecting his work and we all came down on him. We basically said he could stay with her or stay with us. She’s bad news.”  
“Thank you Jaehyo. I believe I will go. After all, Zico did buy me a new pretty red dress,” I said.  
“Smart girl! And a little more advice… stick to him like glue. Don’t let her get between you two at any time. I know it sounds silly but trust me. I know how she is and no offense but I’m afraid she would eat you for breakfast, bones and all. You seem very sweet and she’s anything but. Truth be told, she’s a major bitch!”  
“Gotcha! I’ll make sure to stake my claim.”  
Jaehyo smiled and left with the others.  
 _Looks like I’ve got work to do.  
_  
I decided it was time to get pretty. Zico was busy and couldn’t take me out so I convinced him to let me go with Marco. It was surprisingly easy compared to our usual exchanges about my going out alone. He seemed very distracted and I wondered if it was because of Alicia Wright.  
In the car, I talked to Marco. He doesn’t talk back or maybe even understand what I’m saying but he’s a great listener.  
“You know Marco, when they said I was going to be working with Alicia Wright, I was excited and a little scared. She’s the big time. I could learn so much from her but I could also completely embarrass myself. Now, I have an even bigger problem.”  
“You do?” asked Marco as if he was really listening.  
“Yes. She is going to try to steal Zico from me. Well, according to Jaehyo. Maybe he’s wrong. Maybe she’s over him and he’s over her and I’m panicking for no reason. He did tell me he loves me.”  
“Jaehyo?” asked Marco.  
“No silly! Zico. Surly he wouldn’t just say that and then drop me to go back to her. Except I’ve seen her. She’s gorgeous. She’s tall and voluptuous with her curves in all the right places. She has big blue eyes and long blond hair and a butt that was probably given to her by Adonis himself. Look at me Marco!”  
“You are very beautiful Miss Elizabeth,” he said.  
“No. No I’m not! I’m plain and short with boring brown hair and boring brown eyes and a butt that was given to me by the pilsbury dough boy! I don’t stand a chance do I?” The more I talked, the more I began to panic.  
“Miss Elizabeth, you are beautiful. Your hair is not boring. It has red and gold and copper and is much more interesting than a blond that probably isn’t really blond. Your eyes also have green and gold and they smile and make people happy. And I haven’t looked but I’m sure you have a very nice butt too. Mr. Woo is crazy for you. I’ve seen it as has everyone else. Don’t worry.”  
I was stunned. That was the most English I had ever heard Marco speak. That was the most I had heard him say at all! I put my arm through his and squeezed it in a tight hug. “Thank you Marco! Thank you so much.”  
  
We got to the salon and I had them do the works. I talked Kim Marco into sitting down for a pedicure. He pretended not to like it but he kept grinning. I almost talked him into getting a massage with me but he said that it would make him too vulnerable and he couldn’t do his job. He was right. After my nails and my skin, I had my hair done. They wanted to put in a little color but after what Marco had said, I wouldn’t touch the color of my hair for anything. I don’t know if I looked prettier when I left but I felt prettier. I decided it’s good to be pampered every now and then. I even got Marco to admit that his feet felt better.  
Since I was out, which was a rare privilege, I took advantage of it and did some shopping. First, we went to eat. I always had to talk Marco into doing everything and eating was no exception. He usually gives in after about the third try. Maybe Zico was right. Maybe Marco was just a big playmate for me that could also kill people. Whatever. I had fun with him.  
Next, we went shoe shopping. Marco held my purse while the man who was helping me ran around like crazy to find shoes to please me. I didn’t know why he seemed so nervous and fidgety until Marco bent over to tie his shoe and I saw that big gun on his hip. I left with only two new pair but they were gorgeous.  
I went into the jewelry store to look around. I didn’t really have any nice jewelry and I wanted to look at earrings to go with the red dress that Zico bought for me. Security had to check Marco’s credentials before they would let him in with his gun. I went ahead and started looking around and Marco kept watching me as they checked him out. It was a small store and I don’t know what he thought was going to happen but I guess that was his job. I ended up buying a delicate ruby and diamond necklace and earring set that was on sale. I also bought a gold bracelet for Zico. I didn’t know if he would wear it but I wanted him to have it. I secretly bought a gold stud for Marco. He didn’t know it yet but he was getting his ear pierced.  
We left there and I found a place where I could get Marco’s ear pierced. I didn’t say anything at first, just went in and looked around. Then I said, “You know what I would really like Marco?”  
“No, Miss Elizabeth.”  
“I would love to see you with an earring,” I said.  
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that,” he said.  
I pouted. “But Marco! I bought you a gold earring and everything,” I whined and grabbed his hand.  
“You did?” he asked.  
“Yes so please, please, please do this one little thing for me. It would make me so happy,” I smiled up at him.  
He looked around to make sure no one could hear us and whispered, “I’m afraid of needles, Miss Elizabeth.” He blushed.  
“It’s okay Marco. They use a gun. You like guns!” I reasoned.  
His eyes got big. “A gun?”  
“It’s an earring gun. Please, Marco? I won’t ask for anything else if you’ll do this for me.” I batted my eyes flirtatiously. “Look, it will match your gold tooth!” I showed him the little earring.  
His mouth made a tight little line as he tried to think of a way out of this but he finally sighed and said, “Okay. But will you hold my hand?”  
“Of course I will!” I hugged him.  
I got him to sit in the tiny little chair and I laughed because he looked like he was going to burst out of it at any moment. The little woman came over and prepared everything and I held Marco’s hand. When she swabbed his ear, he jumped. When she drew the little dot, he jumped. When she picked up the gun, he jumped.  
“Close your eyes Kim Marco,” I said. He did. It was over in a second but I would hear about it for the next three weeks. He would not let me forget that I had put him through so much torture. _What a big freaking baby!_ I thought.  
“It looks awesome! Thank you Marco! I love it.” I told him when we left the store. “Stop touching it! Don’t! Leave it alone or you’ll get it infected.”  
He kept reaching up to touch his ear and I’d have to smack his hand. “Please don’t ask anything else of me like this Miss Elizabeth.”  
“I won’t.” I smiled up at him and he gave me a smile back. We went back to the hotel.  
  
When I got to my room, there was a familiar shaped package on the bed. I threw my other bags on the bed and ripped into it and found what I had expected to find. A new phone. It was another gold phone but the diamonds on the back spelled out, “Property of Woo Jiho!” _Did he give me the wrong one by accident?_ I wondered. I looked in the contacts and once again they were all locked on Zico. I pushed the button and waited for him to answer.  
“Hey,” he answered with a slow deep voice.  
“Thank you for my new phone,” I said.  
“You are very welcome,” he said. He sounded funny.  
“I have a question,” I said.  
“Shoot.”  
“Why does it say ‘Property of Woo Jiho’? Is it just a loaner? ‘Cause I can buy my own phone.”  
“It means you, dummy,” he said.  
“What does?” I asked.  
“Think about it. You can get this one,” he said.  
I thought about it. “Oh! Zico! Is that how you see me? Your property?” I asked.  
“Absolutely. And don’t you forget it.”  
I should have been angry at the implication of being owned but I liked that he thought of me as his.  
“I got you something too,” I said.  
“You did?”  
“Mmm-hmm. It’s not much but I hope you like it.”  
“I would love anything you wanted to give me,” he said. He was slurring his words a little.  
“Are you alright?” I asked.  
“Yeah. I’m just getting a little head start on tonight. I’m with Kyung and Jihoon having a few drinks. Are you coming to the club?”  
“Aren’t you taking me?” I asked a little surprised and actually a little hurt.  
“We are going straight over. Get ready and I’ll have Marco bring you.”  
I was a little disappointed. “Oh. Okay. I’ll see you there I guess.”  
“Okay,” he said.  
“If I even go. I’m sort of tired,” I said. And yes, it was a test.  
“Maybe you should just stay there and rest if you don’t feel good. I’ll understand.” He failed.  
“Maybe I should. Will I see you tonight?” I asked.  
“Probably not. I don’t know when I’ll get in. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.”  
“Maybe,” I said.  
There was a pause. “Maybe? You have somewhere to be?”  
“I might. I don’t know yet.” I was starting to tear up so I decided to end the call. “Well, goodnight Zico. Have fun.”  
Another pause. “Goodnight,” he said.  
I hung up.  
 _I can’t believe that just happened._ I wanted to cry but I wouldn’t let myself. Now I had to decide if his reaction was because of being with Block B or because of Alicia Wright. I thought about not going. He seemed to not really want me there anyway. What if I went and he ignored me. I would be heartbroken. What if I didn’t go and tomorrow he comes home with Alicia? I decided to go.  
When I got ready, I made sure everything was perfect. My hair had been pinned up with soft curls coming down to frame my face. The necklace and earrings were perfect for the dress as were the stiletto red shoes with the silk ankle ties that I had bought earlier. I always wore subtle makeup but tonight I vamped it up a bit. A little more eyeliner. A little more lipstick. A little more color. The dress was red silk. It was tight, short, and showed a little of this and a little of that but not enough to get the whole picture. It was the sexiest thing I had ever worn.  
I had Marco change into a black suit with a black shirt and tie. If he was going to be my date then I wanted him to stand out. Not that he didn’t already, being a pile of muscles, but I wanted him to stand out in a different way. Kim Marco cleaned up good. He was a very handsome man if you looked at him just right.  
I was ready. I just hoped it was enough to keep Zico’s eyes off of Alicia and on me.  
  
The club made Marco very nervous. It was cramped and loud and I’m sure for a bodyguard it was a nightmare. It seemed louder and more packed than the night I had come here with Jong. I actually saw some of the same people that I had seen that night. I saw some of the Block B members but I didn’t see Zico. So many men tried to approach me but they were barred every time by Marco. He would just step in front of them and shake his head. They always turned and went the other way. Quickly.  
Zico had been easier to find when he had white hair but when I finally did catch a glimpse of him, Jaehyo came over and blocked my view. “I thought you were going to come with him,” he said. It was so loud, we had to yell everything.  
“I was but he was already out so he told me to meet him here,” I said as I tried to look around him. “Is that him over there?”  
He kept trying to block my view. “Listen, they’ve only been talking for a little while so don’t get upset okay?”  
“Who?” I asked.  
“Jiho and Alicia,” he said trying to keep my eyes on him.  
“What is a little while?” I asked.  
“She was already here when he got here. He was supposed to bring you! What happened?” he asked.  
“He went out with Kyung and Jihoon and when I called him he said for me just to meet him here,” I said.  
“He told me you weren’t feeling well so you weren’t coming. That’s when _SHE_ found him and she’s been glued to him ever since,” he said.  
Every time I would move, he would move with me. It was like we were dancing. “Jaehyo! Why are you blocking me? What’s going on over there?”  
He grabbed my hands and got very close to my ear. “Jiho’s drunk and being an idiot and I don’t want to see you two fight. You know how he is when he’s drinking,” he said.  
I thought of what happened in the kitchen after only four bottles of Soju. I knew I had to get to him. “Let me by, Jaehyo,” I said.  
He turned his head to look at them and said, “Why don’t you wait here and I’ll get him to come to you?”  
When he turned, I took that opportunity to peek around him and what I saw made my stomach clench. I got light-headed and I thought I was going to throw up. Zico was standing against the wall, or rather using the wall to hold himself up, and leaning against him was a tall, curvy, bimbette with legs to the sky, and long blond hair that ended at what some magazines had said was “the best ass in the U.S.A”. Even from the back I could tell it was Alicia Wright. She was wearing a pink dress that was so tight it was basically a second skin and was so short I could almost see things only her doctor has seen. She would have looked less vulgar if she had just been plain naked. She was plastered to Zico, whispering in his ear and he was laughing his flirty laugh.  
I looked up at Jaehyo with tears in my eyes. “You know what? He’s busy right now so I think I’ll get a drink first.” I turned toward the bar and Marco moved in front of me to clear a path. Jaehyo followed me. I don’t know why he was taking such an interest in this situation but it was sweet of him to try to help.  
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” he asked.  
“I think it’s the best idea!,” I said. To the bartender I yelled, “ I’d like one of those blue fruity drinks you have!” He nodded and got to work on it.  
“No, it’s not! What you should be doing is going over to Jiho and letting him get a look at you in that dress! You look incredible! He’ll flip!” said Jaehyo.  
I slowly turned to him and smiled. “Thank you Jaehyo. I plan to do just that as soon as I get a little liquid courage.”  
“Why do you need that? From what I understand, you’re already pretty ballsy!”  
The bartender sat the drink in front of me and Jaehyo snatched it. “Because, not only is Alicia Wright after my Zico, but she is also my nemesis in the fashion world. She’s like me with a major upgrade!”  
“That’s bullcrap! She’s a total whore! Are you sure you want this? This is a very powerful drink. Maybe you should stay sober.”  
I looked over to where Zico and Alicia were standing and I saw him give her a sip of his drink. I took the drink from Jaehyo and downed it. It was so delicious. You couldn’t even taste alcohol and that’s what made it dangerous. I looked over at them again and he brushed her hair back and whispered something to her. I turned back to the bartender and yelled, “Can I have another please?” He nodded.  
Minhyuk came up beside Jaehyo and said something to him that I couldn’t hear. Then Jaehyo yelled back, “I think there’s gonna be a fight.”  
I got my second drink and downed that one too. “No there’s not. I’m not going to fight tonight. At least not here.”  
Minhyuk looked at my glass and said, “Soon you won’t be standing either.”  
“That’s her second one,” yelled Jaehyo.  
Minhyuk’s eyes widened. “You better sit her down,” he said.  
“I won’t let her fall!” yelled Marco.  
“Okay! Let’s do this!” I yelled. I took a step forward and almost stumbled but Marco’s arm went around me like a steel band. “I’m good, Marco!” I yelled and he gingerly let me go. I straightened myself up and pulled my dress down.  
“Maybe you shouldn’t…” Minhyuk began.  
“Nah, let her go! Maybe she’ll knock Alicia on her ass. I’d like to see a good cat fight,” said Jaehyo.  
I don’t know why but I didn’t get that drunk. From the way the boys were talking, I should have been passed out on the floor but I only felt a little warm and dizzy. I think it may have had something to do with Master Pao’s cure. I think it inoculated me against alcohol. Well, mostly, because I certainly felt brave enough to face Zico now.  
Marco walked in front of me so Zico was blocked from my view but I heard his distinctive voice when he saw Marco. “What in the hell are you doing here?” Then Marco moved to the side.  
“Oh fuck!” Zico yelled. He stood up from the wall and away from Alicia. I stood there glaring at him and not moving so he came to me. He smelled strongly of alcohol but then I probably did too. He also smelled like expensive perfume. It wasn’t anything I could have afforded. Alicia stood back, twirling her straw and looking me up and down. “I thought you weren’t coming,” he said into my ear.  
“I can see that,” I yelled back and looked at Alicia.  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.  
“Nothing. Wanna dance?” I asked.  
“You look fucking hot!” he said.  
“Don’t talk to me like that Zico. You didn’t answer my question,” I said.  
“What question?” he slurred.  
“Let’s dance,” I said and put my arm around his waist. I slid my body along his so he could get a great view of my cleavage and kissed his cheek.  
“Damn! Yeah, alright.” He turned to Alicia as I clung to him and said, “It was nice talking to you again.” She looked like she was mad enough to spit nails and I would be her target. I gave her a smile and a small wave as Zico led me to the dance floor. _It’s going to be so much fun working with her. Oi!_  
Once again, the dance floor was so packed that you were essentially dancing with everyone. There wasn’t a part of my body that didn’t get touched or rubbed against. I wrapped my arms around Zico’s neck and he wrapped his around my waist. He pulled me so close that I could feel his heartbeat. The song was very sultry and sexy and the entire crowd seemed to move in a constant body roll. It was almost like having sex with our clothes on. I kissed his neck and he moved his leg between mine so that whenever he moved, it rubbed me in the most sensual way. I almost forgot we were surrounded by people when he put his mouth over mine and gave me the longest, sweetest kiss he had ever given me. I forgot about Alicia, the club, Block B, the crowd, and everything else. Zico filled my world. He often had that effect on me.  
When the song ended and the rest of the crowd warmed up and started jumping around, we stayed the way we were, kissing and moving slowly against one another. Zico yelled next to my ear, “You really do look hot tonight.”  
“Thank you. So do you!” I yelled back.  
“Yeah, but I always do. That’s nothing new.” He laughed.  
“You’re an arrogant ass!” I yelled.  
“I know.” He pulled me close again and started kissing my bare shoulder.  
I closed my eyes to enjoy it and then I thought of something. “Want to introduce me to Alicia Wright?” I asked.  
“Not really,” he said.  
“Why not? I’m going to be working with her. It might be nice to meet her beforehand.”  
He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Then he said, “Alright. Why the hell not!” He took my hand and we went over to where she was standing. She was talking to three other people but when she saw Zico, she left them and put on the biggest fake smile I had ever seen. That was until she saw me coming up behind him. She barely tried to hide her disdain when he said, “Alicia, this is Elizabeth, the girl I was telling you about. You’ll be working with her on the comeback album.”  
“Elizabeth!” she said. It sounded slimy. “I’ve heard so much about you.”  
“Hello Miss Wright. It’s an honor to finally meet you.” Yes, I sucked up.  
“Alicia please! I’m not old enough to be Miss Wright yet!” She laughed a fake laugh. Also, another con on my side was that she was younger than me. “I only got to watch one episode of that little fashion show you were on. I loved some of your ideas.” _Jab number one and Jab number two._ She took a sip of her pink drink.  
“Thank you,” I said.  
Zico stood back and pretended not to be paying attention. That’s when I know he’s paying the most attention.  
“So, what have you heard about me?” I asked.  
“Excuse me?” Alicia asked.  
“You said you had heard a lot about me. I was just wondering if it was good or bad.” I smiled my best fake smile.  
Zico looked up and put his head back.  
“All good of course. Is there some bad stuff? Jiho, you didn’t tell me there was bad stuff!” She flirtatiously slapped his arm. “He just told me that you were also from the U.S. and that you were a sweet little thing with some talent that I might be able to work with.” Jab number three. And yes I was keeping score.  
I grabbed Zico’s arm and said, “Jiho! You’d better not tell her about the bad stuff. That has to stay in the bedroom! And the kitchen. Oh, and the living room. Mmmmm… and the shower!” I used my most flirtatious giggle.  
Zico grabbed my arm and said into my ear, “Stop!”  
“Jico! You didn’t tell me you were knocking boots with this little thing. That’s so cute. You’re such a naughty boy,” said Alicia a little less flirty.  
 _Jico?_  
He didn’t answer.  
“Has he brought out the oils yet? Are you two that far in? I taught him that and it became one of his favorite things, didn’t it Jico?” _JAB! JAB! JAB! JAB!_  
“SHUT. UP. ALICIA.” Zico’s face was getting red and the vein in his neck was pulsing.  
“Oh yeah! We’ve been there,”I said. I felt like I had been punched in the gut.  
“Honey, you’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg! We’ll talk. I’ll tell you exactly where he likes to be licked and tickled,” she said and laughed. _JAB x A THOUSAND! I_ wanted to slap her face. _What does she have, like a million teeth?_ I wondered as I looked at her giant smile.  
“That’s okay. I want to find those things out for myself. It’s like a treasure hunt. Right now he’s busy trying to find out where to tickle me, isn’t that right JICO?” I needed to get away from Alicia Wright or I was going to break my word and there was definitely going to be a fight.  
“Okay! That’s about enough of that!” yelled Zico. “Goodnight Alicia.” He took my hand and pulled me away. I gave her another bitchy wave as he took me as far away from her as he could get me.  
When we got to the bar, I yelled to the bartender, “Can I get another one of those blue fruity drinks please?”  
“NO!” yelled Zico. “CANCEL THAT!”  
“YOU CAN’T CANCEL MY ORDER!” I yelled at him.  
“I JUST DID!” he yelled at me and then to the bartender, “IF YOU SERVE HER ANOTHER DRINK, I’LL KICK YOUR ASS! GOT IT?”  
The bartender’s eyes were wide when he said, “Got it Zico! No drinks for the lady!”  
We were attracting the attention of those around us. Even over the music. The other Block B members began to gather around us.  
“WHY CAN’T I HAVE A DRINK?” I asked him.  
“YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH!” he yelled.  
“I’VE HAD TWO!” I yelled.  
“THAT’S ENOUGH! WHO LET YOU HAVE TWO? I TOLD YOU THOSE DRINKS ARE STRONG!” he yelled.  
“NO ONE EFFING LET ME AND YOUR EXACT WORDS WERE THAT IT WOULD LAND ME ON MY BACK! DON’T YOU WANT THAT ANYMORE OR HAVE YOU DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE OLD DOG? SHE SEEMS TO ALREADY KNOW ALL OF THE TRICKS!” I yelled. I was starting to tear up. Angry tears!  
“YOU NEED TO GO HOME! KIM MARCO! FUCKING TAKE HER HOME! NOW!”  
Marco started to come toward me but I put up my hand. “I’M NOT EFFING GOING ANYWHERE JICO! NOT UNTIL I’M EFFING GOOD AND READY!”  
He stared at me. No, he glared at me. He was grinding his teeth. Finally he said, “This is why you can’t drink. You cause me way too much trouble when you are drunk.”  
“I’m not drunk! I’m hurt and pissed off but I’m not drunk,” I said.  
“Why are you hurt?”  
I just looked at him. _I really hope he just asked that because he is also drunk!_ “I think you’re right. It’s time for me to go.”  
I took Kim Marco by the hand and led him out instead of the other way around. I didn’t want him to see me cry. Zico either.  
  
At the hotel, I didn’t take off my dress or my makeup. I didn’t take my hair down and I didn’t brush my teeth. I took my shoes off and crawled under the blankets. I cried myself to sleep.  
I don’t know what time it was but my door opened. I had locked the chain lock so he could only open it a crack but Zico started yelling, “ELIZABETH! OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR! NOW! DON’T EVER LOCK THIS DOOR AGAINST ME! LEEEEET MEEEE IIIIIIINNNN!”  
“GO TO BED ZICO! I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU RIGHT NOW!” I yelled. I didn’t turn over or even open my eyes.  
The door burst open, the chain flying across the room.  
“YOU DAMN WELL WILL SEE ME RIGHT NOW BITCH! YOU WILL SEE ME WHENEVER I WANT!”  
I jumped and screamed. I sat up and pulled my knees up to my chin and pulled the blankets up to my nose.  
“I’M FUCKING ZICO DAMMIT! I’M YOUR BOSS AND YOUR LOVER AND I’M THE FUCKING DRAGON! YOU CAN’T LOCK THE DOOR OR TELL ME NO OR DRINK OR LEAVE OR DO ANYTHING UNLESS I SAY SO!”  
Marco came in and stood behind Zico.  
“YOU DON’T OWN ME ZICO!”  
“FUCK IF I DON’T!” He reached down and ripped the blankets away from me. “You really do look hot in that dress!” He started to push me back on the bed but Marco put his arms under Zico’s arms and pulled him back.  
“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME! I OWN YOU TOO! I’LL FUCKING FIRE YOU YOU BASTARD! LET ME GO AND GET OUT!”  
“Mr. Woo, you’ve had too much to drink and you need to go to your room and go to bed,” said Marco.  
“YOU’RE FIRED! NOW GET OUT! LET ME GO AND GET OUT YOU BIG UGLY BASTARD!”  
Marco had Zico’s arms pinned and began carrying him toward the door as Zico yelled more obscenities. “You go to sleep Miss Elizabeth! I’ll take good care of Mr. Woo. Don’t you worry about a thing.” Then he pushed the elevator button with his elbow and waited. Zico yelled and struggled but when the doors opened, they disappeared and the yelling stopped.  
Shaking, I pulled the blankets back over me and then over my head and cried myself to sleep for the second time that night.


	14. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Fourteen:: I'm all antsy so I follow you around (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Elizabeth handle someone like Alicia Wright?

I didn’t want to get out of the bed the next morning. I didn’t even want to come out from under the covers. I knew that Zico had been roaringly drunk but I didn’t know why it made him act that way. I also knew that he would probably sleep most of the day so I decided to be gone when he woke up.  
I got up and looked in the mirror. I was a complete mess. My make-up was smeared and my dress was one big wrinkle. I didn’t know if I’d even be able to get a brush through my hair. Hurrying through my shower, I got dressed and when I opened the door, I found Kihyun standing there. _Not this again!_ I thought.  
“Hello Kihyun. Where is Kim Marco?” I asked politely.  
Without even turning around he said, “He is sick and in bed. I’ll be guarding you today.”  
 _Great! Well, there goes that plan. I guess the next best thing to running away is facing it head on. I’ll just go and wake him up and make him explain. This should be fun. NOT!_ I grabbed the key and went out into the hall. “I’m going up to see Zico, Kihyun, so don’t be a… well, just don’t try to stop me. Turning you into a woman is still on the table if you try to touch me!”  
Kihyun put up his hands in surrender and I stepped into the elevator.  
When the doors opened again, I stepped into my nightmare! Zico’s bedroom door was open and I could see him, naked and sprawled on the bed. The blankets and pillows were mostly on the floor as if he had had a really bad night. Or a really good one! Then I heard a noise and a voice in the kitchen. I turned to look and there she was, the life ruiner herself, Alicia freaking Wright! She was stirring something in a glass and when she saw me she put her finger to her lips and said, “Shhh.” Then she waved me into the kitchen.  
I looked back at Zico. _What the EFF is going on here?_ I went into the kitchen, my stomach turning and clenching. “Excuse me but what are you doing here?” I didn’t care that I was being rude.  
“I knew that Jico would be feeling pretty bad today so I’m making him my miracle hangover cure. I used to make them for both of us all the time.”  
I didn’t feel like putting up with her crap today. I wanted to rip her damn hair out. Instead, I said, “Well, isn’t that nice of you. How long have you been here? And how did you get up here?”  
“Oh, I came back with him last night. There was a slight problem when he went to the vending area and that big brute of a bodyguard that you have forced him to come back. He’s an animal! Jico was crazy mad forever but I finally got him calmed down. I might be the only one in this world that knows how.”  
I didn’t say another word. I couldn’t. Walking over to push the elevator button, I felt like I was no longer real. Everything was fuzzy and I felt like I was in a horrible dream. I looked back at Zico again and he hadn’t moved. The elevator doors opened, I stepped in, and that was the last I hoped to ever see of either of them. When the doors opened again, I tried to shove Kihyun out of the way but of course that didn’t work. He moved over and I went into my room. The only thing I wanted was to get as far away from this place as possible so I pulled out my luggage and began to pack.  
 _How could he do this to me? Was Red right after all? Was I just his latest plaything?_ I wanted to scream but I didn’t dare. I finished packing, threw Zico’s phone on the bed with his key and left. In the hallway, I didn’t say anything to Kihyun. He moved to stop me and I slapped his face. “You’re fired! Don’t touch me!” He moved back and I got back into the elevator and went to the lobby.  
“Could you please have my bags brought down and have a car brought around?” I asked the lady at the counter.  
“I’m sorry miss. I’m not supposed to let you leave the building,” she said nonchalantly.  
I was so done with all of this crap. Reaching across the counter, I grabbed her collar and pulled her face close to mine. Quietly but menacingly I said, “I am no longer working for Zico. Have my bags brought down and have a car outside right now! Understand?”  
“Yes ma’am. I’m sorry.” She was shaking when she picked up the phone.  
“And don’t you dare call Mr. Woo! I’ll effing kick your ass!” I said.  
Her eyes were huge and she nodded. I stood there until my bags were put into the car to make sure that she didn’t. I didn’t know where I was going to go and I didn’t care. I didn’t care about the death threats. I didn’t care about the job. I only wanted to get as far away from this crazy life I had been living here as possible. I asked the driver to take me to the airport. When I was there, I’d get a new phone and decide what to do next.  
As I watched the scenery pass by without actually seeing it, I began to think about the situation. _Am I being too hasty? Irrational? He had been drunk and he might not even remember anything about last night. Maybe Alicia had been lying. But then how would she have gotten into his suite. Also, the state of that bedroom and of Zico himself had looked as if they had had a really good time the night before. He was definitely dressed when he had come into my room, and what had that been about? If he had Alicia in his room, why had he come to mine? There was no doubt what he had been there for. I’m so confused. Maybe I just need to step away from it all for a little while._  
At the airport, I bought a phone and sat down to think about what to do next. I could go ahead and get on a plane and go home or I could find another hotel to stay in. I no longer had a job but I still had plenty of money. If I had no job though, what was the point in staying in Korea? There wasn’t one. But if I went home, then what? I guess I could start applying for stylist jobs and live on the money I have left until I found something. That seemed to be the smartest move so that was what I would do. I couldn’t make myself get up. I hadn’t cried yet but I knew it was coming and when it did, it was going to be a days long marathon of crying so I didn’t want to start that here.  
Finally, I got up and went to buy a ticket. At the window, the lady began to put in my information and then stopped. “I’m sorry ma’am but you are on our ‘No Fly’ list. I can’t sell you a ticket.”  
“What? Why?” I couldn’t believe this.  
“It says here you are under police protection. That is all I know. I’m sorry.” She handed my things back to me and looked behind me, indicating that I should move along.  
 _Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap! I guess I’m staying in Korea for a while longer. I need to get this cleared up. But not today. Today I’m going to find a hotel and start my crying marathon._ I looked up the name of a nice hotel and got a room. I also had them send a car for me and my bags.  
As I sat there waiting for the car, I watched as Zico’s car pulled up and he got out. _Does he have a tracking device stuck to me somewhere?_ I thought.  
He looked rough. He looked as if he had thrown on whatever was lying around on the floor and he hadn’t bothered with his hair or anything else except some sunglasses to cover up the fact that he was hungover. Neither of us moved at first. He stood against his car, arms crossed, looking at me. I sat there. I didn’t want to deal with this right now. He was the last person I wanted to see and I sat there hoping he would just get back into his car and go away. He didn’t. I watched him as he walked over to where I sat and he sat down beside me.  
“Where are you going?” he asked. His voice was rough.  
“Why?” I asked.  
“Don’t be difficult please,” he said.  
“I quit. This is my notice so you can just get back into your car and go,” I said.  
“I’m sorry about last night. I don’t remember much but I do know that I acted like an ass.”  
“Yes. You did but that’s not why I’m leaving,” I said.  
“Is it because of Alicia?” he asked.  
“It’s because I found Alicia in your suite this morning while you were sprawled out naked in the bedroom and it was obvious that something had happened in there last night.” I could feel the tears welling up behind my eyes. I felt like throwing up.  
“It wasn’t what it looked like. Nothing happened between me and Alicia last night except a fight,” he said.  
“How do you know? You can’t remember.”  
“I always know the next day when I’ve had sex. I didn’t. Will you let me try to make it up to you?” he asked.  
“Why? I know about you and Alicia. I know that you didn’t want to break up with her and she obviously wants you back. So what’s the problem?”  
“You are,” he said.  
“What does that mean?” I asked.  
“It’s true. I would take Alicia back in a heartbeat but I have one problem. You.”  
“Well, you don’t have that problem anymore,” I said.  
“Please, Elizabeth. Come back and let me make it up to you.”  
 _I want to so much. Maybe I had been too quick to judge. I acted out of pain and I didn’t give myself time to think about it. He deserves another chance._ “Alright. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left. I was so hurt because it looked like…”  
“I know what it looked like and I’m sorry.” He turned to me and took my hands. “I was confused by Alicia for two seconds, then I was an idiot and got drunk, and then I was a bigger idiot. I’m so sorry. Thank you for giving me another shot.” He pulled me into a hug and I slowly wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back. I was still hurt but being in his arms made it hurt a lot less.  
  
I called and canceled the room at the other hotel and Zico took me to eat. He said he was too sick to eat but he wanted to talk. I thought that was a good idea.  
“I think you should know about me and Alicia before someone else tells you a bunch of things that aren’t true,” he said after I got my food.  
“Jaehyo told me some of it,” I said. I didn’t feel much like eating either.  
“He doesn’t know the whole story. I dated Alicia for about a year. She was just starting out and I was too, sort of. We were inseparable. I got a lot busier with Block B and she didn’t like it and she became very clingy. She demanded that she go everywhere I went and I let her so that she would be happy. She didn’t like the other members and they didn’t like her. She started becoming demanding with the rest of the staff and when she started telling the other members what to do, we started having problems.”  
“Why did she feel she had a right to do that?” I asked.  
“Well, I think she felt like my wife and she has a powerful personality. She thought she had the same rights as me. I found out that she would follow me if I went anywhere without her and she had little spies that would watch me when she couldn’t. She would tell me what to do and try to make business decisions for me and I would go along with it. Finally, the other members had had enough and they told me that if I didn’t get rid of her, they would get rid of me. I actually had to think about it. I thought I was in love with her but really it was… I don’t know what it was. It was some sort of messed up thing.”  
“And now that she’s back?” I asked. I still hadn’t touched my food.  
“I didn’t ask her to come back. The company hired her. They didn’t want to turn her down since she’s so well known now. She actually does have incredible fashion sense. I was hoping I wouldn’t have much contact with her but I think she sought me out first thing. Since we broke up, she writes, emails, and if she gets my phone number she texts me. I don’t answer but it doesn’t stop her. She has come to our concerts and basically…”  
“She stalks you,” I said.  
“Yep.”  
“Why don’t you put a stop to it?” I asked.  
“I guess because I feel bad. I left her for my group and it always felt like a betrayal,” he said.  
“She was way out of line Zico. She’s obsessive.”  
“I know. I’m sorry for all of this. I really didn’t want there to be any trouble. When I suggested that you work on this project, I didn’t know it was going to be her. I never wanted you to meet her. She’s good at tearing people apart.”  
“I can take care of myself, Zico,” I said.  
“I know. But not against her. I even have trouble with her.” He twirled salt into his hand.  
“Do me a favor,” I said.  
“What?”  
“Don’t drink anymore. Especially when she’s around. If Marco hadn’t been there last night, I don’t know what you would have done. I’ve never seen you like that before and I don’t understand why you came to my room. Do you even know why?” I asked.  
“I don’t know. I was mad at Alicia for coming in and messing things up. I was mad at you for being mad at me. I was mad at myself for being such a wimp. I was just mad at the whole situation. I think Alicia was trying to get me into bed and I got pissed off because every time I looked at her, it wasn’t you, so I went to find you and then your door was locked.”  
“Why did she come home with you at all?” I asked.  
“I don’t remember. I don’t think I had a choice in that matter. Kyung and Jihoon carried me home and she just followed. The guys put me in bed and when I woke up, Alicia was in my face trying to kiss me. She kept trying to get me to take my clothes off so I went to look for you. Then I remember Kim Marco taking me back to my suite. I came down three more times and every time he took me back. Finally, I just went to bed.” He licked the salt in his hand and made a face.  
“When I came up there, you were very naked and she was still there. Why should I believe that nothing happened? Why wouldn’t it happen and how do you know? Your memory is faulty,” I said.  
“I told you, I know if I’ve had sex the night before and I hadn’t.”  
“How do you know?” I asked.  
“Do you really want to know?” he asked.  
“Tell me.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know but why not?  
“Okay. First of all there was no smell. Second, I wasn’t the least bit sore.”  
“So? Why would you be sore?” I asked.  
“Sore there!” He looked down. “I always get a little sore afterward. And I wasn’t at all. Nothing happened.”  
I took a bite of my food. That made me hungry so I ate a little more. As I ate, I thought about whether I believed him or not and I decided that I did. “Well, I guess we are even now,” I said between bites.  
“How do you figure?” he asked.  
“Well, you had to wonder about me and Jong and now I have to wonder about you and her.” I didn’t even want to say her name.  
“I guess you’re right. Why don’t we just forget the whole thing. All of it. Him and her.”  
“I would like that,” I said and finished my last two bites. It was delicious.  
“Um, where is Kim Marco? Shouldn’t he be with you?” he asked.  
“He’s sick and when I woke up, Kihyun was standing guard. I guess Marco got him to take his place for the day.”  
Zico nodded. He smacked his hands together to get rid of the salt and said, “You know what I would like?”  
I shook my head.  
“First, I want two aspirin. Then I want to lay down and hold you until we have to leave,” he said.  
“Leave? Where are we going?” I asked.  
“I have to perform ‘The Titan’ tonight on _The Show_. Didn’t I tell you?” he asked.  
“Hmm-mmm.”  
“Oh, well, you need to work then. But first, we cuddle.” He smiled. “Let’s go.”  
  
That night, after picking out the perfect set for Zico to wear and then laying in his arms while he slept, I watched as he was once again surrounded by people and being taken in a dozen different directions. It would drive me crazy but he seemed to thrive when he was working. I was watching as they did his hair and make-up when I felt a tapping on my shoulder. I turned around and about fell over. It was Alicia Wright.  
“Elizabeth right?” she asked even though she knew the answer.  
“Yes, and you are…Olivia?” I asked.  
“Alicia,” she said as her fake smile faded.  
“That’s right. I’m sorry. Silly me. I knew that.”  
“Yes, well, I wanted to come over and apologize if I caused any trouble this morning. I didn’t mean to. I’m just so used to taking care of Jico that I didn’t think anything of it. I know that he has been keeping himself entertained with you for a little while and I wanted you to know that it’s okay. I don’t have a problem with it.”  
“Uh-huh. That’s good to know I guess. Not that it really matters since you two aren’t seeing each other anymore. Right?” I couldn’t quite figure out where she was going with this.  
“We weren’t but I think things might change soon. I really shouldn’t say anything but I feel so guilty. I feel like I owe it to you to tell you what’s going on, you know, woman to woman. I mean, I would want to know the truth and how often can you get that from a man right?”  
“What exactly are you getting at Alicia?” I was getting highly irritated by her stupid high pitched voice.  
“Well, I know that you two aren’t that serious so I’m sure this won’t bother you that much but last night, Zico told me how much he missed me and that as soon as he could find a way to let you down easy, he would like to give us another try.”  
“He did huh?” _I didn’t know what to think. Was she lying? Was he lying? Why would he bother to come and find me at the airport if he was just going to get rid of me. She’s lying!_  
“I couldn’t believe it! And don’t worry. Nothing happened last night. He didn’t want to do anything until he made a clean break from sleeping with you. If I know my Jico, he just wants one more good night with you. Since you’re going back to America soon anyway, you should probably just save your self-respect and leave him first. That’s what I would do.”  
I couldn’t believe the gall of this woman. I just stood there looking at her not knowing what to say. Then I did know. “You know what, bitch? You are full of it. Stay away from me and stay away from Jiho or I’m going to kick your perfect ass up between your ears! If I catch you in his suite again, I’m going to rip out each of those blond hairs one by one. He belongs to me! Now, get the eff away from me!” I knew my face was red and my hands were making fists at my sides. Alicia’s face was priceless. Now she was the speechless one but she soon recovered.  
She came close to me and put her face in mine. “If you want a fucking war, I’ll give you one little girl. When it comes to Jico, I can have him any time I want him. You don’t know who you’re messing with. You just fucked up!” She flipped her hair in my face when she turned and walked away.  
I wanted to follow her and knock those stupid horse teeth out right now but I looked over at Zico and saw that he had been watching the whole thing. He looked nervous so I smiled at him. He smiled back but I knew it wasn’t real. I went to find my seat.  
When Zico finally came out to perform, the first thing I noticed was that he wasn’t wearing what I had brought for him to wear. As a matter of fact, I didn’t recognize the clothes he was wearing. He looked good but I was confused. The performance was incredible. He was such a great showman that you couldn’t tell that he was still a little hungover.  
After his performance, I went to his dressing room and he was already there, changing. He waved me in.  
“That was incredible,” I told him.  
“Thanks. I feel like crap! I just want to go home and go back to bed.” He took off the white pants that I hadn’t picked and I remembered to ask him about them.  
“Why didn’t you wear the set that I brought for you? It’s okay, I was just wondering,” I said.  
“What do you mean?” He looked at the pants confused.  
“Where did you get those clothes?” I asked.  
“They were in here when I came in. You didn’t pick these?” he asked.  
Now I was confused. “No. I picked out black for you to wear. I’ve never seen those.”  
He picked up the white leather jacket and looked at it. “It doesn’t matter,” he said and put it down again quickly. “Could you hand me those jeans please?”  
I gave him the jeans and asked, “Zico? Do you know where those clothes came from?” I had a suspicion that I knew.  
“I have no idea. Maybe there was a mix-up. It happens.” He sat down to put on his socks and shoes.  
“It was Alicia wasn’t it?” I asked.  
He didn’t look at me. “I don’t know. Maybe.”  
“I know.”  
“By the way, what were you two talking about before the show?” He stood up and put on his jacket.  
I laughed. “She came over to apologize for making trouble last night.”  
“Really? That’s hard to believe. I didn’t know she knew that word,” he said. “He put on a hat and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go home. I want you to stay in my room tonight if that’s okay with you.”  
“I would like that,” I said.  
  
It was 2am when Zico’s phone started going off. I turned toward him and put my arm around his waist as he answered. I kissed his back.  
“What is it?” was the way he answered the phone. I thought that was a bit rude.  
“Calm down. I can’t understand you.” A pause. “Oh my God. Where are you?” Pause. “How did you get over there?” Pause. “Stop crying. Fine! I’ll be there in about half an hour. Don’t go anywhere. Stay right where you are.” Pause. “Just stay there. Bye.”  
I sat up and rubbed my eye. “Who was that?”  
Zico sat on the side of the bed and reached for his pants. “I’m sorry baby but I have to go pick up a friend that needs a ride home. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Just go back to sleep.”  
He got up and went into the bathroom. I looked at his phone and it only took half a second to decide to look at the last call. It was only a number so I tried to remember it as well as I could at 2 in the morning. I watched as he put on a shirt and his shoes and grabbed his keys. He came over to get his phone and leaned over to kiss me. “Who is it Zico?” I asked.  
“Just a friend. Go back to sleep. I’ll be back.” He kissed me and left. I listened for the elevator to move and then I grabbed my own phone. I punched in the number and hoped that I had remembered it right.  
“Jico? Hello? Jico?”  
I hung up. I knew that stupid voice! _I knew it! I knew it was that conniving bitch! I’m going to effing kill her!_ There was no way I was going back to sleep until he came back. As a matter of fact, I would give him the half an hour he promised her and then I was going to call him. Getting up, I went into the kitchen to make some tea. I realized I was slamming things around so I tried to calm myself down a bit. I took my tea into the living room and turned on the t.v. but I didn’t really watch it.  
Exactly half an hour later, I called Zico. No answer. I called again. No answer. I was getting a little worried. I called again.  
“Hello?”  
I gritted my teeth. That voice made me want to scream! “Where’s Zico?” I asked, not hiding my irritation.  
“Who wants to know?”  
“You know who this is. Put Zico on the phone now!” My irritation was turning to pure anger.  
“I’m sorry. He’s busy.”  
“Listen, put Zico on the phone now or we are going to have a huge problem.” I got up to look for my clothes.  
“We already have a problem and you know it. Well, you do rather. He’s not in the car right now so you’ll have to call back later. Oh, but his phone will probably be off so you might as well not bother. Goodnight Elizabeth.” She laughed a wicked witch laugh and then the call dropped.  
I screamed. I was so mad! I tried to call back but it went straight to voice mail. I threw my phone and it bounced off the wall. I needed to do something. The smart thing was to wait for Zico to come back but when did I ever do the smart thing? I put my clothes on, not knowing where I was going to go. I was full of nervous energy and I wanted to hit something. Hard! I wanted to hit Alicia Wright. A lot!  
My phone rang and I practically ran to answer it. “Hello?” I said almost too anxiously.  
“Hey baby. I’m sorry. I saw that you tried to call. I had to run into the store for a second. I’ll be home soon so please wait for me.”  
“I was worried. I don’t like it when you go out so late. And then you didn’t answer so I was afraid you were in an accident. I need to see you to make sure you are okay!” I played it up as much as possible.  
“I’m fine! I needed to help out a friend that was stranded but I’m on my way now. Lay back down and I’ll kiss you all over when I get back.”  
“Promise?” I flirted.  
“So much! Bye.”  
“Bye.” I smiled. At least it seemed like he really did just drop Alicia off instead of staying with her for any amount of time. She didn’t win as much as she thought. I undressed and laid in the bed and waited for my kisses.


	15. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Fifteen:: It's dark and I cannot see... (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zico, Alicia, and Jong... oh my!

The next morning, Zico had a television interview with Block B. I decided he should wear black jeans, a bulky black sweater, and his denim jacket. All of the boys were dressing casual until the new concept was cemented. I got to sit in the audience and when Block B was introduced and they came out, I was livid! Zico was wearing light blue jeans, a gigantic red sweater, and a ridiculous scarf. The other guys were dressed similarly.  
Instead of paying attention to the interview, I was looking around for one person and I found her. Alicia was standing at the end of the studio grinning that big horsey grin of hers. I watched as she did something on her phone and then my phone buzzed. I had a text. _Crap! That witch has my cell number! And now I have hers!_  
I read the text: **I dress Block B bitch!**  
It was all I could do not to go over there and knock those big teeth down her throat. I didn’t look her way during the rest of the interview because I knew I wouldn’t be able to sit there and be good. I wasn’t going to text back either but I couldn’t help myself. I knew it was petty but she irritated me so much and I couldn’t let her win.  
I sent: **I undress Zico at home! Bitch!**  
I watched as she read the text and the big grin was gone. She sent me something else.  
It said: **I’ll be undressing him tonight! Wait and see!**  
I sent: **I can’t see into your dreams!**  
The interview was almost over so I made my way to Zico’s dressing room. I found the outfit that I had picked for him laying behind the clothes rack, still in the garment bag. A few minutes later, Zico came in followed by a group of people. He told them all to get out and they left. All except for Alicia. She shut the door and walked up behind Zico and before she could touch him I said, “That means you too, cupcake!”  
If her eyes could throw daggers, I’d be dead right now. “That isn’t up to you,” she said.  
Zico turned to her and said, “Go on Alicia.”  
“But Jico,” she whined. “I’m supposed to be here. I’m the stylist on this set. If I have to go, she should too. She’s not even supposed to be here.”  
“Alicia, just go,” he said.  
“Not unless she goes too,” she said and pointed her witchy finger at me.  
I started to get up and Zico knew what I meant to do. He opened the door and, taking Alicia’s arm, he guided her outside a lot more gently than I was going to. “Go help the others,” he said and shut the door.  
“Zico! I swear to God! I can’t take much more of her! I won’t!” I said.  
“Just calm down. She IS the stylist on the set and…” he started.  
“AND she changed the outfit I picked out for you. AGAIN!” I said.  
He had just taken off the red sweater and he looked at it. “She did?” he asked.  
“YES! She did!” I said.  
He started taking off his pants and I turned around. I don’t know why but it still made me blush. I heard him laugh.  
“Well, like I said, she is the Block B stylist so she gets the main say in what we wear,” he said.  
I spun around, no longer caring that he was in his underwear. “I thought I was supposed to be working on that too! I don’t get a say?”  
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea anymore. I think you should just concentrate on my solo stuff,” he said while not looking at me and pulling on another pair of jeans.  
I stared at him in disbelief. “Really? Hmm. I see.” I was hurt.  
He stood up and came to put his arms around me. “Don’t be that way. I just don’t want any complications. I want you all to myself anyway.” He smiled and tried to kiss me but I dodged him so he kissed my cheek. He whispered, “Come on. You know you want to kiss me. Come on…”  
Sometimes I couldn’t resist him when he was being all sweet. My face smiled against my wishes and he leaned in to kiss me. I let him.  
“That’s better,” he said and gave me a quick kiss before continuing to get dressed. He always knew how to get to me and I had to admit, I did feel better. It may have been more about the fact that I didn’t have to work with Alicia than the kisses but whatever.  
  
When we left, everyone met up at Vita’s. I was surprised at how sad it made me to go there but it was nothing compared to how Zico reacted. As soon as we went in, he excused himself to go to the bathroom and he was in there for at least fifteen minutes. I don’t know why we had to come to this place but Zico insisted.  
The place was packed with Block B’s staff and I didn’t know where to go so I waited by the door. A smiling Taewoon came over to greet me.  
“Hey! Elizabeth right?” he said as he came toward me.  
“That’s right,” I said and smiled.  
“I haven’t seen you since… well, for a while. I have a seat for you. Come on.” He took my arm and led me to Zico’s table. It was already full of Block B members and Taewoon pulled out a chair for me. He sat at the head of the table beside me and it wasn’t until he sat down that I realized I was not sitting beside Zico. I didn’t like it much but I was sitting across from him so I didn’t say anything. Jaehyo was sitting to my right and he was laughing at something on his phone with Taeil.  
“So, how have you been?” asked Taewoon.  
“I’ve been good. And you?” I asked.  
“Getting by. How is the chest?” he asked as he made a face and pointed at his own chest.  
“Oh! It’s much better. Thank you. I wasn’t aware that you knew about that,” I said.  
“Are you kidding? I was at the hospital. Somebody had to keep that little brother of mine from losing it. I can’t believe that after all of that, he went back to Alicia!”  
I thought I had heard wrong. “Uh, what?” I asked.  
“Yeah! That was a shock. I thought you two were it by the way he acted but then she told me they were back together. I’m actually a little surprised you are here tonight. I wouldn’t be,” said Taewoon and he took a sip of his beer.  
“Um, Taewoon, she lied. I’m still very much with Zico,” I said.  
He was looking behind me and he raised his eyebrows. “Really? Then what is going on back there?”  
I followed his gaze and saw Zico by the bathrooms. Alicia was pressed against him and I started to get up.  
“Hold up,” said Taewoon and he grabbed my arm. “Just sit down and wait. It might not be what you think.”  
I kept my eyes on them as I sat down. He was right. I didn’t want to make a scene in here. Not in Vita’s place. Jaehyo grabbed my other arm.  
“Alicia’s been after Jiho hardcore since she came back,” he told Taewoon.  
I didn’t see Taewoon’s reaction since I never took my eyes off of those two.  
Finally, they came over to the table, Alicia clinging to his arm. I took note of the fact that he didn’t try to push her away. Then I had to deal with the fact that she was sitting next to him.  
Zico’s eyes were red and swollen and I knew he had been crying. His voice was also rough when he said hello to Taewoon. They gave each other a side hug and once again I was struck by how similar they were.  
Zico looked at me for a second and I gave him an annoyed look. He mouthed “Sorry” and looked down.  
I stayed annoyed for the rest of the dinner. She took every opportunity to touch him that she could find and I counted every touch. I promised myself that at some point she was going to pay for every single one. Jaehyo tried to keep me distracted by showing me the Photo Booth app on his phone. It didn’t work.  
Zico seemed uncomfortable and irritated. He never laughed and the only conversation he had was with Taewoon. After the dinner, he came around the table, took me by the hand, and led me away from the others.  
“Okay, don’t be mad okay?” he said.  
“About what?” I started to get nervous.  
“I told Alicia I would take her to her hotel and Jaehyo said he would take you back,” he said.  
I couldn’t believe it! “Are you serious, Zico? I mean really! Can’t you see what she’s doing?”  
“I’m not stupid. But she wants to discuss the concept she came up with for the new album. I need to see it to make sure it’s what I want,” he said.  
“You’re going to her room? NO! Why can’t she bring them over and you can look at them in the lobby or the meeting room?” I asked.  
He ran his hand through his hair. “It’s just easier this way,” he said.  
“Not for me!” I said and looked at him. He didn’t speak so I said, “Why can’t I just go with you?”  
“You know why. There would be a huge fight and I don’t want to deal with that tonight,” he said. He was having trouble looking at me.  
“No Zico! I’m not okay with this at all. If you go, there’s going to be a huge fight but not between me and her. It’s going to be me and you! Don’t you know how hard this is for me?” I asked.  
“Don’t you trust me?” he asked and grabbed my hand. He actually looked a little angry.  
“I don’t trust her! Not for one second. She does something to you Zico because you are NOT acting like yourself,” I said. I waited for a reply but he didn’t give one. “Was she right? Are you having second thoughts on who you want to be with?” I asked. My heart was beating out of my chest. I was afraid to hear his answer.  
Zico was quiet for a moment and that was long enough to give me a mini-heart attack. “Of course not! Look! I have to do this okay? Go with Jaehyo and I’ll see you back at the hotel soon.” He kissed my cheek and I felt like slapping his. _I can’t believe he only kissed my cheek!_ I watched as he left with Alicia and Jaehyo came up behind me and squeezed my shoulders.  
“I told you. She’s a total bitch. Actually, I think she’s a witch and she has Jiho under some kind of spell,” he said.  
“Let’s just go,” I said. I couldn’t remember being so mad.  
“Okay,” said Jaehyo and we left.  
  
At the hotel, Jaehyo was going to walk me to my door but in the lobby, someone called my name. I turned and thought, _Oh no. What in the hell?_  
Jong came toward me with his arms out for a big hug. Jaehyo must have known something was off because he asked me, “Do you know Jong?”  
“Unfortunately,” I answered.  
Jong lifted me off the ground with a big hug and when he put me down, Jaehyo grabbed my hand and gently pulled me to his side. “Hey, Jong. What are you doing here? I heard you worked in China now,” he said.  
“I’m had to come back to work on some Block B stuff for the comeback. And I wanted to see this little girl,” he said and looked at me with a big smile. “I have missed you like crazy!”  
“Really?” I said in confusion.  
“You know I did!” he said and smiled even bigger. “I can take it from here Jaehyo,” he said.  
Jaehyo pulled me to the side and whispered, “Are you okay with this? I can ask him to leave if you want.”  
I thought about it. Zico and Alicia crossed my mind as well as the fact that he was in her hotel room right now. “You know what? I’m good. Thank you for the ride.”  
“Don’t do anything stupid,” said Jaehyo.  
“I won’t, “ I promised.  
“Well, if you need anything just call me okay? ANYTHING!” said Jaehyo. He looked at Jong suspiciously.  
“Thank you. I’ll be fine,” I said and squeezed his hand. He kept looking back at us as he got into the elevator. As the doors closed I saw him shake his head and look down.  
I turned to Jong and he hugged me again. He would have kissed me if I hadn’t been quick and turned my head to the side. “You always were such a tease!” he said.  
“Let’s go over here and talk, Jong,” I said and started toward one of the couches in the back of the lobby.  
“Can’t we just go to your room?” he asked.  
I ignored his question and said, “Come on.” He followed me and instead of sitting on the opposite couch, he sat very close beside me.  
“You know, I’m a little surprised at the way your acting. Are you playing some kind of game or did you think I wouldn’t really come back?” he asked.  
I didn’t know what he was talking about. “Why would I think you were coming back?” I asked.  
“Really? You only begged me five thousand times to come back to you and I told you I would the first chance I got. Well, I found it and here I am and you’re acting like all of that talk was just…well… talk. You didn’t mean any of it did you?”  
Now I was thoroughly confused. “Huh? What are you talking about, Jong?”  
“What is this, Elizabeth? Are you going to pretend all of that texting didn’t happen?” Jong was getting angry.  
“Jong, I don’t know what you are talking about. What texting?” I asked.  
He sat and looked at me with his mouth open. “Fine. Here. I saved our last conversation.” He pulled out his phone and pulled up some texts and handed it to me.  
The texts on the left all said Elizabeth and I thought I was having a stroke or something. I read:  
Elizabeth: **I miss you so much. Can’t you make a special trip just to come and see me?**  
Jong: **I wish I could. If I can find a way, will you keep your promise and do that thing to me that you talked about last time? ;D**  
Elizabeth: **That and much more. My bed is so cold an lonely.**  
Jong: **Mine too. I’ll see what I can do. Block B is having a huge comeback and I may be able to find a reason to come to Korea for a while. Then we can finally finish what we started before.**  
Elizabeth: **I’m sorry about that. I was so wrong. I knew that the moment you were gone.**  
Jong: **At least you see your mistake now. Haha I’ll let you make it up to me. Over and over.**  
I couldn’t read anymore. I handed Jong his phone back. “Um, Jong, I didn’t write those,” I said.  
“Of course you did. It came from your phone. Who else would have written it?” he asked.  
“I don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t had any contact with you since you were here before. Someone is messing with you,” I said.  
He moved away from me a little. “What is this? Now that I made good and came back to Korea, you don’t want to live up to your promises?”  
“I didn’t make those promises, Jong!” I said.  
He looked at his phone and his hand was shaking. “We have been texting for days. Almost nonstop. I moved things around and rescheduled things just to get back here to you and now you want to pretend that it wasn’t you saying those things to me? Who was it then? Who and why?” He was so angry.  
“I don’t know, Jong, but it wasn’t me. I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what was going on. Was someone messing with him or with me? Then I thought of Alicia. But how could she text from my phone? I had my phone. “You know what! We’ll figure it out but you’re here now so lets talk.” I wanted to calm him down a little before this escalated into a fight.  
“Can we go to your room?” he asked.  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Zico should be back soon,” I said.  
“So?” he said.  
“So, I don’t want a big fight,” I said.  
“Why would he care?”  
“Well, he’s sort of jealous and he already has a problem with me and you,” I said.  
“I thought you said he’s back with Alicia Wright. I don’t think he’ll have a reason to be upset about us now,” he said.  
“No. We are still together. She’s just working on the clothes for the comeback,” I said.  
He tilted his head and smiled. “Where is he now?” he asked.  
I didn’t want to say. “He’s looking at her ideas but he’ll be back soon.”  
“Sorry to break this to you but if he’s at her place right now, they’re doing more than looking at ideas. They were crazy when they were together before. It was almost impossible to get them out of the bed without turning a hose on them.” My heart stopped for a second and I had to catch my breath. “I know a way you can get back at him. You can keep those promises you made!” said Jong and he ran his finger up and down my arm.  
“I didn’t make those promises!” I almost yelled.  
“Sure you did. Let’s go up to your room. I’ll make it worth your while,” he said.  
“No, Jong. I trust Zico. He’ll be back soon and I don’t want him to have any reason to think I’ve been doing anything that I shouldn’t,” I said.  
“I’ll bet he’s doing all kinds of things he shouldn’t right about now.”  
“Stop it!” I said and pushed his hand away from my arm. I shivered.  
Jong laughed. “Alright. But you’ll see. I’m right”  
I pulled out my phone and sent Zico a text.  
“He’s too busy to answer,” said Jong.  
I put my phone on the coffee table and waited for Zico’s text. Then I thought of something. “Jong? Why did you tell Zico that we did things that we never did?”  
“Oh, sorry. He was being a total ass and I wanted to bring him down a peg or two. So I told him I had you first,” said Jong. He sounded like it was a perfectly acceptable reason.  
“You know that caused me all kinds of problems!” I said.  
Jong laughed again. “Sorry.” He wasn’t.  
Zico still hadn’t sent a text back. I picked up the phone and sent another.  
“Told you so,” said Jong.  
That really made me mad so I dialed Zico’s number. There was no answer.  
Jong raised his eyebrows and smiled.  
I dialed Alicia’s number. It went straight to voice mail.  
I felt sick to my stomach. I looked at Jong and thought, _I should just take him to my room._ But I had made mistakes before by acting too hastily so I decided against that. For now.  
“Jong, I have some work to do. Maybe we can get together later and catch up, okay?” I said.  
He looked disappointed. “When you figure out that he’s back with her and you’ve been loyal for no good reason, you’ll call me.” Jong got up, kissed my hand and said goodbye. I watched him go to the elevator. He was as good looking from the back as from the front. The other elevator opened when his closed and Jaehyo, Taeil, and Minhyuk came out. I was going to call to them but I just watched and they left the hotel.  
I was just going to have to trust Zico. He cared about me. I knew he did. Jong did make me think that I was being a little naive and I was starting to wonder how much I should put up with before I did something about it. For now, I was going to go to Zico’s suite, work on his upcoming schedule and call him until he answered.  
  
I worked until 10 when I finished the last set of outfits for a big solo show he had planned. It was sold out. I had called at least twenty times and there was never an answer. Alicia’s phone always went to voice mail. I left him texts which went unanswered and it had been five hours. Going into the kitchen, I looked for something to eat but nothing looked good. I made some tea and went into the bedroom. I watched television and called Zico until I finally fell asleep. He still wasn’t home.  
Around 2 a.m., Zico tried to sneak in beside me. I waited for him to get settled and then I turned to him and asked, “Where have you been?”  
He mumbled, “Can we talk about it tomorrow? I’m exhausted.”  
I could smell alcohol on his breath. “It is tomorrow, Zico! We need to talk about this now so I can decide if I’m going to stay in this bed with you or not!”  
“You can go back to your room if you want,” he said with his eyes closed.  
I sat up and turned on the lamp.  
“Dammit! Let me sleep!” he said.  
“Where in the hell have you been?” I yelled.  
He still didn’t open his eyes. In fact, he turned his back to me. “I told you I don’t want to discuss it tonight. I can’t even keep my fucking eyes open. Shut up and go back to sleep.”  
“WHAT! WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?” I stood up in the bed.  
“AAAAHH… FUCK IT, ELIZABETH! LEAVE ME ALONE! I’M NOT UP TO THIS SHIT TONIGHT!” he yelled.  
I didn’t say another word. I walked out and slammed the door as hard as I could. I didn’t want to go to my room either so I called the lobby and asked for Jaehyo’s room. It rang twice and he answered.  
“This is Elizabeth. Can I come to your room? I’m sorry. I know it’s late,” I said as I started to cry.  
“Of course. Room 310,” he said.  
I hung up and got into the elevator. Zico must have gone straight to sleep because I didn’t hear another sound from him. I felt weird going to Jaehyo’s room but I didn’t want to be alone and I thought he would be a good listener.  
I only knocked once and the door opened. He must have been waiting for me. As I walked in he said, “I guess you need some answers.”  
“What?” I asked. I didn’t know what he meant.  
“About Jiho,” he said and sat on the edge of one of the beds. I sat on the other.  
“Do you know something?” I asked and looked at the two beds. “And do you have a roommate?”  
“Yeah, Taeil but he’s not up here right now. I can tell you what happened at Alicia’s,” he said.  
I felt stomach acid rising into my throat. “Do I want to know?” I asked.  
“Well, when we got there…” he began.  
“You three went to Alicia’s?” I interrupted.  
“Yeah. We wanted to stop a fight before it started but actually we walked in on one,” he said.  
“What do you mean?” I asked.  
I figured if we went over there, nothing could happen and I could stop Jiho from doing something stupid. When we got there, he had already had two glasses of wine and he was working on a third. He was yelling at Alicia and she was crying and yelling back.”  
“What were they yelling about?” I asked.  
“He was saying something about her coming back and ruining everything. He said he was finally starting to get over her and she shows up and starts stirring up old stuff. He was really mad about her messing with you.”  
“Well, he was very hateful to me just now. I mean, I was yelling at him but I felt like I had a good reason to,” I said.  
“He’s very upset. It took us a couple of hours to get him out of jail,”  
“JAIL?” I yelled.  
“Someone called hotel security during the fight and when they came in, Jiho hit one of them. We talked them out of pressing charges and he had to pay a fine but he doesn’t have to go to court.” Jaehyo opened a mint and ate it.  
“I was calling him all night! Why didn’t he answer?” I asked.  
“His phone was in his car,” said Jaehyo.  
I rubbed my forehead to ease the headache that was starting there. “I asked him not to drink anymore. Especially not around her.”  
“I don’t think he counts wine as drinking. Also, she can talk him into anything. I told you about the hold she has over him. I don’t know what it is.” He grabbed a soda from the mini-fridge and offered me one. I shook my head.  
“Why did he get so drunk from wine?” I wondered out loud.  
“Personally, I think she put something in it. He said something about her being all over him the minute they got to her room and he had to fight like hell to keep his clothes on. He was acting more drugged than drunk in my opinion but I couldn’t prove anything. I’m telling ya, she would stoop to anything to get what she wants,” he said and took a drink.  
“Thank you, Jaehyo. I’m going to go to bed now. You helped a lot and thank you so much for going over there,” I said and stood up.  
“If I could get rid of that witch completely I would,” he said and walked me to the door.  
“I know. Me too,” I said.  
“Need me to walk you to your room?” he asked.  
“Nah. I’m good.” I smiled and put my hand on his cheek. “Goodnight.”  
“Night.”  
I went to my room and tried to sleep but I tossed and turned all night.  
  
The next morning, there was a knock at my door. When I answered it, I was surprised to see Zico standing there. “Did you lose your key?” I asked and went back into the room.  
“I didn’t know if you would want to see me this morning,” he said. He came in but he stood across the room.  
I shrugged and continued getting dressed and fixing my hair.  
“I’m sorry I was such a jerk last night. I can explain if you’ll let me,” he said in a low voice.  
“Jaehyo already told me what happened,” I said.  
He nodded and looked down at his feet. “It doesn’t excuse the way I talked to you last night. I’m sorry,” he said.  
It was my turn to answer with a nod.  
We didn’t say anything as I moved around the room putting on my shoes and straightening the bed.  
“Are you going somewhere?” he asked.  
“I have a breakfast date,” I said and went into the bathroom to get my purse.  
“What? With who?” he asked. It was the most emotion he had shown since he came in here.  
“With Jaehyo and Taeil. Is that okay with you?” I asked picking up my key card off of the dresser and dropping it into my purse.  
“Mmm…” was all the response I got.  
“Well, if that’s all, I need to go.” I opened the door and held it open, indicating that he should leave. He walked out without looking at me and watched as I got into the elevator. The doors closed as he stared into my eyes.  
When I got to the lobby, Jaehyo and Taeil were talking to the girl behind the counter. Flirting was a better word for it. She was the girl that I had threatened on the day that I left and when she saw me, her eyes got big and she remembered something she had to do in the back office.  
“Sorry it took so long guys,” I said and went over to them.  
“We know how girls are,” said Taeil.  
I laughed but not for long because the elevator doors opened again and Zico stepped out. He hurried over to where we were and asked, “Can I join you guys? I’m starving.”  
None of us seemed very happy at the prospect but Taeil said, “Sure. I’m in the mood for steak and biscuits!”  
When we got into the car, I ended up sitting in the back with Zico but I sat with my arms crossed and I looked out the window the entire time. He joked around with the other two and it was the same at the diner we went to. He made a few comments to me but I just smiled and ate my food. I mostly talked to Jaehyo. It was uncomfortable and I was in a bad mood the entire time.  
Back at the hotel, we ran into Jong in the lobby. Zico reached down and grabbed my hand as soon as he saw him. “What are you doing here?” asked Zico?  
Jong looked down at our intertwined hands and his smile faded. “Do you mean in general or right now?” he asked.  
“What are you doing in Seoul?” asked Zico.  
“I have business to conduct for the big comeback. You should know that. Right now I have a meeting with some merchandisers,” said Jong.  
Zico pulled me into the elevator. “Well, I would say it’s good to see you but it’s not,” he said and the elevator doors closed. He turned to me and let go of my hand, “Did you know he was here?” he asked.  
“Yes.” That’s all he was getting from me.  
“Why didn’t you say something?” he asked.  
I looked at him. “When was I supposed to do that exactly? I found out he was here when you were at Alicia’s and you never answered the phone when I called. You wouldn’t talk to me last night except to be hateful so when was I supposed to tell you?”  
“I said I was sorry. And you could have told me today,” he said.  
“I didn’t think about it today. I don’t sit around thinking about Jong like you think I do.” I turned back to the doors and stepped out ahead of Zico when they opened. I didn’t care if he followed me or not. He did.  
He didn’t speak again until we got in the room. “Did you just see him yesterday or did you talk to him?”  
“We talked,” I said and got a water from the fridge.  
“What did you two talk about?” asked Zico.  
“What did you and Alicia talk about?” I asked him back.  
“I told you, I went over to see the designs for the comeback. That was all,” he said and sat on the bed.  
I sat in the chair across the room. “They must have really sucked if you had to drink wine to look at them,” I said and twisted the top off of my water.  
“You said Jaehyo told you what happened,” he said.  
“He did. I know that you were upset with Alicia for stirring up old feelings and then you went to jail.”  
“It wasn’t exactly like that,” said Zico. He stood up and walked to the window and ran his hand through his hair.  
I looked at his back for a minute and then said, “Do you still have feelings for Alicia?”  
He didn’t answer for a moment and I thought he wasn’t going to. Then he said, “I don’t know what’s going on with me.”  
“Well then, how do you feel about me?” My stomach churned.  
“You know how I feel about you!” he said and turned to face me.  
I took a long drink of the water and said, “Do I?”  
“That’s what makes everything so hard!” He came over and sat in the chair across from me. “I’m in love with you! But I used to be in love with her too so now I’m very confused! I didn’t think it was possible to be in love with two people but it is.”  
That was not the answer I wanted to hear. I felt sick. “What if I were to ask you to get rid of her? Send her packing? Don’t talk to her ever again? Would you do that for me?” I asked.  
“I can’t get rid of her. She works for the company and I have to talk to her because I have to work with her.”  
“Okay, then only do business with her when I’m there,” I said.  
“Can you guarantee there won’t be any fights?” he asked.  
“I can promise that I won’t start anything. Beyond that, no,” I said.  
He put his head down and scrubbed the back of his head with both hands. “You know what I’ve been thinking?”  
“Not a clue,” I said.  
He sat back up and stared at his hands. They were shaking and tears were running down his face. “I’ve been thinking that maybe I should step away from both of you until I can figure out what’s what. I think I need to sort out my feelings and I can’t do that with both of you pulling me in separate directions.”  
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I couldn’t breathe. “Are you breaking up with me?”  
“I guess I am. Just until I can figure out what I really want. I’m sorry.” He stood up to go. “I still need your help with my solo project but if you want to quit, I’ll understand.”  
I couldn’t speak. He turned and left.  
I didn’t know what to do. I sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like forever. Then I picked up my phone and sent a text.  
Elizabeth: **Jong, are you free tonight?**  
Jong: **I can be…  
** Elizabeth: **I need to go out and get very very drunk! I need to have some fun!**  
Jong: **;D**


	16. Dressing Zico Chapter Sixteen:: Murderous looks keeping each other in check... (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth goes on a date with Jong.

After I made a date with Jong, I called Kim Marco. I had been checking on him every day to make sure that he was getting over his illness. It wasn’t determined for sure what he had but it was diagnosed as severe food poisoning. They had thought for a moment that he might have been poisoned on purpose but there was no way to prove anything. The last time we talked he had told me that he only had three days of medicine left to take and that he was coming back to work early because he didn’t like to think of me walking around Seoul unprotected. To hear him talk, you would think I stroll out into gangland every day and shout “Come and get me!” I usually told him to stay home and get well but tonight I needed him.  
Every time I called, he answered, “Polo”. He was the cutest thing in the world.  
“Hi Marco. How are you feeling?” I asked. Even as hurt as I was, he never failed to bring a smile to my face.  
“I am well, Miss Elizabeth. Kim Marco is strong again,” he said. I loved when he talked about himself in third person. I just wanted to pinch his chubby cheeks so much.  
“I’m so glad. Do you think you are well enough to do me a favor tonight?” I asked.  
“Anything for you, Miss Elizabeth,” he said.  
“I’m going to Club M tonight with a friend and I know you hate that place but could you go just this once and watch over me?” I knew I was asking a lot because it was Marco’s least favorite place in the world. Club M was a bodyguard’s nightmare but he didn’t hesitate.  
“I will be there,” he said.  
“Now listen Marco, your being there is going to be a secret okay? I don’t want my friend to know that you’re there. Can you watch me from a distance?”  
“Who is this strange friend, Miss Elizabeth?” Marco sounded suspicious.  
“He’s an old friend but he doesn’t know about you and I don’t want him to yet. Is that okay?” I asked.  
“Yes, Miss Elizabeth. What time will you be there?” he asked.  
“Seven,” I answered.  
“Then Kim Marco will be there at six.”  
“Thank you, Marco.”  
“It’s my job,” he said. We both knew he would do it whether he was getting paid or not. I didn’t know if Zico planned on keeping a bodyguard for me but I would keep Marco on the payroll as long as possible.  
It was time to start getting ready and I planned on being stunning. Not only was I hurt and angry but my pride had taken a beating as well. I had lost to Alicia Wright and that fact about killed me. So, not only did I want to make myself feel better by going out but I was feeling a little vengeful. And the best revenge against Zico was Lee Jong Suk.  
  
At six-thirty, Jong knocked on my door. I had asked him to come to my room to get me because a little part of me wanted Zico to see him. He didn’t.  
“Wow! I forgot how absolutely stunning you could be!” said Jong.  
 _Bingo!_  
“Thank you, Jong! Just let me get my purse.”  
In the lobby, we met Jaehyo and Ukwon as they were coming in. Jaehyo automatically grabbed my hands. “Where are you headed off to?” he asked.  
“Jong and I are going to Club M,” I said.  
“Uh, I need to speak to you,” said Jaehyo as he pulled me away from Jong. Ukwon stood with his arms crossed and stared at Jong. “What in the ever loving hell is going on? I told you not to do anything stupid and doing Jong is stupid!” he said.  
“Zico left me,” I said.  
Jaehyo’s face softened. “That bastard! I’m so sorry. But Elizabeth, Jong’s not the answer! He’s not a good guy.”  
“I know what he is, Jaehyo,” I said. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”  
“Why don’t you let me take you out instead? I can be fun. I can…” he said.  
“It has to be Jong,” I told him.  
He blinked at me for a second before asking, “Why?”  
“Because Zico hates him,” I said.  
Jaehyo shook his head and said, “Now see! You’re going to do something stupid and frankly, Jiho’s not worth it!”  
“I won’t do anything stupid. I promise. I know exactly what I’m doing,” I said. I could tell that Jong was becoming impatient.  
“Well, I’m going up to change and don’t be surprised if you see me there!” he said.  
I smiled and kissed his cheek. When I walked back over to Jong, he looked annoyed but I ignored him. Without another word, he took my hand and practically drug me out the door. As soon as he got into the car, his hand went to my leg. Except for when he shifted gears, that’s where he kept it and even though my every instinct said to move it away, I let him leave it there.  
He kept looking at me with a creepy smile until I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why are you smiling at me like that?” I asked.  
“I was right wasn’t I?” he said.  
“About what?” I already knew what he was going to say so I don’t know why I asked the question. I just gave him an opening to gloat.  
“About Zico and Alicia! He’s banging her again isn’t he?” asked Jong.  
“Jong, please don’t be so crude. And no, he isn’t seeing either of us. He said he wanted to be alone for awhile,” I said.  
“He’s banging her.” I gave him an annoyed look and he said, “Sorry. He’s sleeping with her.”  
“Whatever. I’m with you now. That’s all that matters.” I looked out the window and felt Jong’s hand move a little further up my thigh.  
  
It was Saturday night and the club seemed to be at maximum capacity. The line to get in was insane but Jong took my hand and skipped the line. He pushed his way to the front where two huge bouncers were turning people away.  
“Yo! Lee Jong!” said one of the big men.  
“Hey, Yoonmin! What’s up?” said Jong and they did some weird ritualistic looking handshake. Yoonmin opened the rope and let us through while people in line started yelling angry things.  
Just like before, Jong put me in front of him and wrapped his arm around me to lead me through the crowd. It seemed that everyone knew him and missed him. Girls didn’t care that he was holding onto me either. They would come up and kiss him full on the mouth and then smile at me. He acted like this was all completely normal.  
I looked everywhere for Kim Marco. I finally spotted him standing on a platform where he could look over the entire crowd and we made eye contact. He moved his coat to the side for a second so that I could see that he was armed and ready for anything. Just seeing him made me feel one hundred percent better.  
“Want to get a drink?” yelled Jong into my ear.  
“Definitely!” I yelled back.  
We made our way to the bar and I was fondled the entire way. And not by Jong. This club always seemed like one big orgy. I couldn’t help but to keep looking over at Marco. I wanted to make sure he could always see me.  
At the bar, I yelled to the bartender, “I want one of those blue fruity drinks please!” He nodded and started making it.  
“It’s called a Blue Tornado!” yelled Jong.  
“Oh! I wondered.”  
“You really intend on getting hammered don’t you?” he asked.  
“Why?” I asked.  
He laughed. “That’s a strong drink.”  
“I like them,” I yelled.  
“That drink has another name in this club,” he said.  
I looked at him.  
“It’s called Foreplay!” Jong lowered his head seductively and raised one eyebrow.  
I just smiled and took my drink from the bartender. I gave Jong my own seductive look and took a sip. Then, still looking at him, I downed the rest. I stabbed one of the cherries with a toothpick and put it in my mouth, slowly pulling the stick out and dropping it back into the glass. I yelled to the bartender to make two more. I wanted to see if I could drink Jong under the table. He looked surprised.  
As we stood there, people kept coming up to talk to Jong. He was a popular guy here. I think he expected me to get jealous when the girls would kiss him and rub on him but I didn’t care. Jong was just the instrument of my revenge. A gorgeous fun instrument that I didn’t care to use since he was a big womanizer anyway.  
I looked over the crowd. I had a feeling that most of these people lived for weekends and this club. On the balcony, I saw a familiar face. Jaehyo leaned against the railing and waved at me. I waved back and then I realized that he wasn’t alone. I also saw Taeil, Ukwon, and Minhyuk. I couldn’t help but smile. Jong nudged me and handed me my second drink of the night. It would not be my last. I drank it in two drinks.  
“You should probably slow down,” said Jong.  
I only looked at him and ordered another. Even the bartender gave me a strange look but he made it anyway.  
“I told you I intend to get really drunk tonight,” I yelled to Jong.  
“All you’re going to do is throw up and pass out!” he yelled back.  
“That’s fine too!” I said.  
I could feel my phone buzzing in my purse against my leg. I took it out and couldn’t have been more shocked to see a text from Zico.  
 _Zico:_ **Jong? Really?**  
I wondered who told him. I also wondered if I should reply but I decided not to. Why should I give him the satisfaction?  
When I stood up to turn and get my third drink, I started to feel the other two. My head felt swimmy and a warmth was running through all of my veins. I took the drink and sat down on a stool. I felt my phone buzz again. I had two texts. One from Jaehyo and the other from Zico.  
I opened the one from Jaehyo which read:  
 _Jaehyo:_ **Please don’t drink any more of those. I don’t want to carry you home. In fact, don’t drink that one.**  
I answered him:  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Thank you for being so sweet Jaehyo but I can’t promise anything.**  
I wasn’t going to open the one from Zico but my curiosity got the better of me.  
 _Zico:_ **DO NOT DRINK THAT! I MEAN IT!**  
“What?” I said out loud and started to look around.  
“Who keeps texting you?” asked Jong.  
“Jaehyo,” I answered.  
“Do you two have something going on?” he asked.  
“No! He’s a good friend.” I still hadn’t spotted Zico. I looked up at Jaehyo but he didn’t seem to realize Zico was here either. Kim Marco was still standing in the same spot.  
It took me four swallows to get this drink down but I did it. I was starting to feel better. I didn’t feel that drunk as I sat there but when I stood up, that’s when I felt it.  
“Jong, let’s dance,” I said.  
He smiled and put an arm around me. He took me to the center of the crowd and turned me to face him. I wrapped myself around him and let him move me whichever way he wanted. I don’t know if it was the alcohol or my pain or a mixture of both but Jong felt really good moving against me. A slow sultry song began to play and the lights dimmed to a low gold. I got the urge to kiss Jong’s neck so I took his skin between my teeth and gently nibbled. He began to do the same to me. I wasn’t as drunk as I should have been on three of those Blue Tornados and that was thanks to Master Pao’s miracle cure but I still let Jong do whatever he wanted with me. I think the fact that Zico was watching made it easier.  
I put my head back to give Jong better access and I saw that the Block B boys were no longer hanging out at the balcony. I started to feel like I had a bunch of fathers watching my every move. It was sweet but I was beginning to get annoyed. I could feel my phone buzzing but I was ignoring it. Jong stopped moving and when I looked up I realized we were surrounded by Block B. Park Kyung and Pyo Jihoon were also there. I hadn’t seen them before.  
“I think she may need to get some air,” Jaehyo said to Jong.  
“I think you should mind your own business,” Jong said and let me go so that he could get in Jaehyo’s face.  
I could feel my head getting even more dizzy and my body felt like it was floating. A strange man came up behind me and put his arms around me. He began dancing and started to move me away and I didn’t care. Jihoon pushed him away and said, “Get lost!”  
“Yes, I probably should but right now I’m minding hers because you let her get too drunk to make her own decisions,” said Jaehyo.  
I felt my phone buzz again. I reached into my purse and saw that I had three texts and one missed call. They were all from Zico.  
 _Zico:_ **Why are you doing this? I told you I just needed to work things out.**  
 _Zico:_ **I don’t care if you are free to do what you want. If I see Jong do one wrong thing I’m going to kick his ass. And then I’m going to fire him!**  
 _Zico:_ **Please stop. You win. You’re hurting me.**  
I looked around again to see if I could find Zico. Everything was mixing together and I couldn’t make sense of anything. Colors, lights, people, and movement was swirling together. No one was paying any attention to me so I moved away from them and went back to the bar. I knew I was slurring my words but I couldn’t make it stop. I ordered another drink.  
When it came, I reached for it and started to take a drink but a hand covered mine and made me sit the drink down. The hand was familiar. I slowly looked up into eyes that I knew so well.  
“Please stop,” said Zico. He didn’t yell above the noise but I knew what he said nonetheless.  
I let go of the drink and he pushed it away. I wanted so much for him to put his arms around me and say that he was sorry and that he only wanted me. He didn’t. Instead he said, “You need to go home.”  
I looked over to where Jong and Jaehyo were and neither of them had noticed that I was gone. They were in each other’s faces yelling things that I couldn’t hear. The other members were surrounding Jong and I was a little worried for him.  
Zico took my hand and made a path through the crowd and led me outside. When I breathed in the cold night air, I became a little more clear headed. I saw that Kim Marco had followed us outside but he stayed a distance away. Looking at Zico made my heart hurt.  
“How did you know I was here?” I asked him.  
He gave his ticket to the valet. “Jaehyo came to my suite and bitched me out and told me that you had left with Jong.”  
“Jong is right. Jaehyo needs to mind his own business,” I said. I felt bad immediately.  
“You should thank Jaehyo! He probably just saved you. He’s in there right now getting into a fight on your behalf,” said Zico.  
“I had Marco and that was all the protection I needed,” I said.  
“One more drink and you were going to need more protection than Marco!” he said. “I told you! I know Jong! He has a pattern. Go to Club M, get the girl drunk, and use the hell out of her until the morning. Then he splits.”  
“So.” I said.  
“So? You know what? If you weren’t drunk right now, I’d leave your ass here and let you find out for yourself.” His car pulled up to the curb and he opened the door and waited for me to get in.  
I looked at the car and then at Zico and said, “No.”  
“Get in,” he said.  
“No,” I said and turned to go back into the club.  
Zico grabbed my arm hard and pulled me back. “GET IN THE DAMN CAR NOW!”  
“NO! YOU LEFT ME. YOU LEFT ME FOR FREAKING ALICIA WRIGHT! I’M NOT DOING WHAT YOU SAY ANYMORE.” I pulled my arm from his grasp and walked toward the club. I heard him slam the door and I knew he was watching me walk away.  
“COME BACK HERE OR I’M DONE!” he yelled.  
I kept walking. Zico had to learn that he couldn’t have it both ways. He was used to having his cake and eating it too but this slice was walking away and if it turned out to be a mistake, then I would deal with the consequences later. He had to know that I wasn’t going to be twisted every which way by him anymore.  
I went back into the club. The boys were being held back by various people but they were still yelling. I walked into the middle and took Jaehyo’s face in my hands. I kissed him and said, “Thank you for taking care of me.” He seemed stunned. I turned and went to Jong. “Let’s leave,” I said and put my hand on the man that was holding him. The man let go and Jong jerked his shirt back into place. I knew he wanted to spit one more insult in Jaehyo’s direction but I said, “Don’t. Come on.” We left.  
  
All the way back to the hotel, Jong complained about Jaehyo and Block B. I didn’t care what he had to say and I only half listened. Since seeing Zico, I felt numb. I didn’t want to talk or think or feel. I didn’t know if I had screwed up my chance to get Zico back but I knew I didn’t want him to come back just because he didn’t want Jong to have me. I wanted him to come back because he loved me and couldn’t live without me. I was so sad.  
Jong kept complaining and I didn’t think he had even noticed that I hadn’t spoken since we left the club. I don’t think he cared either. I went with him to his room and found that it was identical to mine. I sat in one of the chairs while he walked around doing things and when he handed me a bottle of water, I took it without saying a word. At that moment, I didn’t care what happened. I sat there with my eyes closed while he prattled on and then he came to me and took my hands. He pulled me to my feet and when I opened my eyes, the lights were off. I let the drink he had given me fall to the floor.  
Jong had stopped talking. He began pulling pins from my hair and it tumbled down around my shoulders. He lifted my head with a finger and kissed me. It was a gentle sweet kiss that surprised me. He moved his hands slowly from my shoulders to my wrists as he kissed me and then put my arms around his waist. His arms went around me and he pulled me into him and held me tight.  
He put a hand in my hair and gently pushed my head against his chest and he just rocked me like that. His breath fluttered my hair and his heartbeat was steady and even. I closed my eyes and listened to its rhythm. It sounded different than Zico’s. After a few minutes, he pulled away and pulled me over to the bed. We laid down, clothes and all, and he cuddled up behind me and just held me.  
“You can cry if you want to,” he said.  
I didn’t want to because I was afraid that once I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I snuggled down closer to him and let him surround me. He pulled my hair away from my neck and I thought he was making a move but he just laid his cheek against the back of my head and held me. I didn’t think it would be possible but the combination of alcohol and Jong’s soft breathing helped lull me to sleep.  
  
The next morning, I woke up wrapped in a big blanket that I didn’t own in a room that was like mine but wasn’t mine. I sat up and my head felt like it would burst. My stomach burned and I felt sick. Looking around, I tried to remember where I was and then it started coming back to me. On the table I saw a tray with a silver dome beside a glass vase that was holding a single white rose. There was a note and when I got up to read it, I started to get sick. I had to run to the bathroom and I barely made it. _And now I know why they call them Blue Tornados!_ I thought as I lost what was left in my stomach.  
I came out and looked at the tray of food and said, “That’s sweet of you, Jong but there’s no way I can eat that this morning.” I did read the note though. It said:  
 _Elizabeth,  
You are as beautiful in sleep as you are awake. I hope you are dreaming of me. I have a meeting this morning but I hope that we can have dinner tonight. I didn’t know what you would like but I ordered you some breakfast. I hope you feel better in the morning light. Sleep well.  
Jong_  
I had no idea what to think of this Jong. Was this an act? I knew how to handle Jong, the womanizing jerk but what was I supposed to do with Jong, the sweetheart? I rubbed my face to wake up more and then I picked up the note and read it again. I folded it and when I opened my purse to drop it in, I realized that my phone was buzzing. I had six texts from Zico and three missed calls. There was also two texts from Jaehyo. I almost decided not to read them but I couldn’t do that.  
 _Zico:_ **I’m sorry I yelled. I didn’t mean what I said.**  
 _Zico:_ **Jaehyo said that you left with Jong. It’s been three hours. Where are you?**  
 _Zico:_ **Please answer me. I’m waiting in your room but you aren’t here and it’s 2 am.**  
 _Zico:_ **It’s 4 am. Please tell me you aren’t with him. I’m going crazy!  
** _Zico:_ **ANSWER YOUR FUCKING PHONE!**  
 _Zico:_ **Your bed hasn’t been slept in. You aren’t answering your phone. If you aren’t back by noon I’m calling the police.**  
 _Jaehyo:_ **Where did you go? Let me know that you are ok  
** _Jaehyo:_ **Jiho is going to call the police if you don’t call soon. Just a heads up**  
It was 11:48 a.m. and the last person I wanted to see was Zico. But I needed a hot bath and some aspirin desperately and I also didn’t want to see the police. I put my phone back into my purse without answering any of the texts and took the rose from the vase. One of the thorns punctured my finger and as I put the wound in my mouth, I wondered if that was a bad omen.  
I went to my room and instead of finding Zico, it was quiet. I was so glad. I went into the bathroom and shut the door. I ran a bath, took some aspirin, and stripped off the clothes that I had slept in. Slipping into the bath, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. For a few minutes at least until the door was slammed open and I felt like my head had split open. I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain.  
“WHERE IN THE FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?” he yelled. That didn’t help my headache in the slightest. I began seeing stars. Every noise drove into my brain like a hammer and the louder the noise, the bigger the hammer.  
“That’s none of your business anymore,” I said in a very soft voice. The pain in my head was starting to effect my stomach and I thought I might be sick again.  
“DON’T GIVE ME ANY OF YOUR BULLSHIT TODAY, ELIZABETH! YOU DID IT DIDN’T YOU!” He came over to the side of the tub and leaned down toward me. **“ANSWER ME!”**  
“Did what?” I asked with my eyes still shut against the pain.  
“YOU FUCKED JONG! THAT’S WHAT! TELL ME! TELL ME SO I CAN HATE YOU!”  
“Not that it’s any of your business but no, I didn’t have sex with Jong.”  
A big splash in the tub made me jump and the water rushed over me. I opened my eyes to see Zico, clothes and all, on his knees hovering over me. His face was inches from mine.  
“Don’t lie to me. Tell me the truth so I can kill him and send you back to America!” His voice was a low growl and I was afraid of him.  
“I swear to you, Zico. Nothing happened between me and Jong last night. I slept. That was all. I promise. I had so much to drink that I fell asleep and I woke up alone this morning.”  
“WHERE did you wake up alone this morning?” he asked in the same growling voice.  
“In Jong’s room,” I whispered.  
He stared at me. I was actually becoming scared enough to tremble. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”  
“I told you. I fell asleep as soon as we got there. I didn’t hear my phone.”  
“Why did you go to Jong’s room if you didn’t intend to let him fuck you?”  
“I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking straight. I never intended to do anything with him, Zico.” I was starting to shiver. The whites of his eyes were red.  
Zico hung his head and closed his eyes. His breathing was hard and labored and I knew he was trying to control his anger. He stayed that way for a long minute and then he looked back up at me. “If I find out any different, I swear I’ll kill you both!”  
He stood up and water went everywhere. It rained down from him and I had to close my eyes and turn my head. He stepped out of the tub and walked out, leaving a water trail in his wake.  
I had no doubt that he meant every word that he had just said.


	17. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Seventeen:: The sound of shouting fills the hall (18+)

I was avoiding Zico. He had really scared me and I was afraid that Jong would do something incredibly stupid like lying and telling Zico that we had slept together. He was that kind of idiot. Tonight I couldn’t avoid him though. He had an event to attend and I had to dress him. I probably should have quit this job but my pride wouldn’t let me do the smart thing. I had lost the war but I didn’t want to lose every battle.  
I rode to the broadcast station with Mya. I didn’t have to talk much because she would just witter on and on about how difficult Zico was to work for. It seemed to be her favorite subject. Or just the only one we had in common. She also liked to ask me about being kidnapped. She told me that Jack had asked her out once but he creeped her out so she didn’t go. I told her she was lucky.  
At the station, I set up Zico’s clothes and left the dressing room before he came in. I didn’t want to watch the show so I found a place to sit in the back and watched everyone else work. There were two other groups here for the show as well. One was BTS and the other was Big Bang. I wasn’t familiar with either of these groups so I didn’t know which of the pretty boys running around belonged with which one.  
One of the prettier ones that I had noticed stopped in front of me and asked a question in Korean that I didn’t understand.  
“I’m sorry, I don’t speak Korean,” I said.  
He switched to English and asked, “Are you lost?” He had such a gorgeous smile.  
“No. I’m right where I need to be,” I said and smiled back.  
Instead of continuing on, he came over to sit by me. “Okay. Let me guess your job. I’m really good at this,” he said. He looked at me and rubbed his chin as he thought. “Well, you aren’t Korean so you aren’t an entertainer. You aren’t dressed like a corporate a-hole so you aren’t in charge of anything. At least I hope not after the a-hole comment,” he said and grinned.  
“You’re safe,” I said.  
“You aren’t running around trying to look busy like the rest of the staff so you are either make-up or clothes.” He took my hand and turned it over. I didn’t know what he was looking for but when he was done he said, “Clothes. You’re a stylist.”  
“You ARE good at that,” I said. “Congratulations.”  
“It’s a gift,” he said. “So, who do you belong to?”  
“If you mean, who do I work for, it’s Zico,” I said.  
His face twisted and he said, “I’m sorry.” He laughed.  
“Why are you sorry?” I asked as I laughed too.  
“Aren’t you?” He was being very cheeky and it was cute on him.  
“Sometimes,” I said. “So, which group are you with?”  
He just looked at me like I had given him the biggest insult of his life. “You are joking right? I mean I’m not trying to be conceited but you are kidding. Right?”  
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to insult you. I just don’t know much about K-pop groups,” I said.  
He had his elbows on his knees and he hung his head down and laughed. “That is so great!” he said. “You must be an American girl.”  
Now it was my turn to be insulted. “Right again,” I said. “What is that supposed to mean?”  
“Well, you aren’t speaking Korean and you have a really cute American accent. You look very western and the biggest give away is that you don’t know me. Although, even American girls usually know me,” he said.  
“That wasn’t the least bit conceited,” I said and laughed.  
“You aren’t kidding are you?”  
“No. Sorry,” I said.  
“Well, you can call me Ji-yong then,” he said and stood up.  
“Will we be speaking again?” I asked.  
He tilted his head to look at me and then smiled and said, “Count on it.”  
“Okay. I’m considering that a promise,” I said flirtatiously.  
“You should,” he said and walked away, looking back and giving me a small wave.  
I waved back and looked away. That’s when I saw that Zico had taken an interest in what I was doing. He looked from me to Ji-yong and back several times as he ignored the people around him. He moved and that’s when I saw Alicia tottering beside him in ridiculously high stilettos. I hoped the bimbo fell and broke both of her ridiculously long legs.  
It also hadn’t escaped my attention that Zico wasn’t wearing what I had brought for him. _Why in the hell am I even trying to do this job?_ I thought. Alicia kept herself plastered against him as much as possible. _She looks like the leaning tower of stupid._ I had to look away.  
My phone began to buzz. I had a text from Zico.  
 _Zico:_ **What were you talking to Kwon Ji-Yong about?** I ignored it. Mostly because he hated it when I did that but also because it really wasn’t any of his business. I didn’t want to hang around the station anymore. My job was done and he wasn’t even wearing what I brought so I didn’t see a reason for me to be there. I could hang around and torture myself a little longer with the sight of him and Alicia looking like the perfect couple but I felt like I had suffered enough for today.  
Before I got to the door, Ji-yong stopped me. “Wait! What’s your name? You never told me.”  
“It’s Elizabeth,” I said.  
“Are you leaving?” he asked.  
“Yes. I’m done here,” I said.  
“Can I get your number first?” He gave me a shy smile.  
I smiled back. “Sure,” I said and gave him the number as he put it in his phone. “What are you going to do with that?” I asked.  
“Don’t worry. I have plans for this number right here,” he said.  
“Goodbye Ji-yong. It was very nice meeting you,” I said.  
“The pleasure was all mine,” he said and held the door for me as I left.  
I started to call a cab when I got another text from Zico.  
 _Zico:_ **Are you leaving?**  
I answered this one.  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I see no reason to stay. You aren’t even wearing what I chose so what’s the point?**  
I called the cab and they said it would be five minutes. I got another text.  
 _Zico:_ **You know I didn’t realize that. I just wear what is hanging there and the tag was in your hand writing. You should have stayed in the room to make sure I got the right clothes this time.**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **That’s okay. I really don’t want to sit around and watch you and Alicia together. Thanks though. I did my job so it isn’t my problem if you don’t have the right clothes on.**  
The cab pulled up to the curb and I got in. I told the driver the name of the hotel and then looked at my phone when it buzzed again.  
 _Zico:_ **We aren’t together and what was going on with you and Kwon Ji-Yong? I saw him talking to you again. How do you know him?  
** _Elizabeth:_ **He asked for my number and I gave it to him.**  
I watched my phone as I waited for the next text.  
 _Zico:_ **G-Dragon wanted your number?**  
 _G-Dragon? That actually sounded familiar_.  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Who’s G-Dragon?**  
The cab driver started to sing and I had to smile to myself. I could tell that he thought he was really good and that he was doing me a service by singing for me but he was mistaken. My phone buzzed.  
 _Zico:_ **You’re joking right? G-Dragon? Big Bang?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **That was his reaction too when I told him I didn’t know who he was. Is he a big deal?**  
I didn’t have to wait long before my phone lit up.  
 _Zico:_ **You told G-Dragon that you don’t know who he is? You really don’t know who he is?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I really don’t and I don’t care. If he’s as big a deal as your making him out to be, then he’ll never call anyway.**  
The cab pulled up to the hotel and I gave the cab driver a tip and told him thank you for the song. I got one last text from Zico that I didn’t answer. It read:  
 _Zico:_ **He is a huge deal. If he calls, for whatever reason, turn him down.**  
He was crazy if he thought I wasn’t going to answer that call! Especially after he built Ji-yong up so much.  
Jong was waiting for me in the lobby. “Please tell me that you are hungry. I have a place I want to take you to for dinner,” he said as he grabbed both of my hands and kissed one of them.  
“Do I need to change?” I asked.  
“You are perfect,” he said.  
I saw Marco across the lobby and I wanted to talk to him so I said, “I need to do something real quick. I’ll meet you out front okay?”  
“Alright but don’t be too long. I’m famished.” Jong rubbed his tummy and went outside.  
I went over to Marco and gave him a huge bear hug. “I’ve missed you! Are you back to work?” I asked.  
“Kim Marco is here to protect you again, Miss Elizabeth,” he said. Then he whispered, “I missed you too.” I hugged him again.  
“I’m going to dinner with Jong right now,” I said.  
“Then Kim Marco is going to dinner too.”  
“I guess it’s time for Jong to meet Kim Marco,” I said and walked out the door with a giant muscled teddy bear following me.  
Jong’s face when he saw Marco was the best thing that had happened to me all day. He was completely perplexed.  
“Jong, this is my bodyguard Kim Marco. Marco, this is Lee Jong Suk,” I introduced them.  
Neither man extended a hand. Jong turned to me and said, “You have a bodyguard? Why didn’t I know about him before?”  
“Well, Marco has been off work sick but he’s back now and pretty much where I go, he goes. Don’t worry though. He doesn’t make a nuisance of himself. He’s mostly quiet.” I waited for Jong to open my door and when he didn’t, Marco did. Jong just kept looking at Marco.  
When everyone was in the car, Jong just sat quietly for a moment, stealing glances at Marco in his rear-view mirror. “Why do you have a bodyguard? Is this a new thing Zico came up with since you’re going out with me?”  
I laughed. “No. I got Marco after I started getting death threats.”  
“You ‘got’ Marco? Like a gift or something?” Jong asked. I could tell he was having trouble with this.  
“Well, I didn’t think so at first but it turned out to be a gift. He saved my life and I feel so much safer with him around,” I said.  
He put his hand on the key and said, “Alright then. Let’s go eat.”  
We drove in silence. Jong started to put his hand on my leg but he looked at Marco through his mirror again and then rested his hand on the gear shift. I turned in my seat and asked Marco, “Did they ever figure out what was wrong with you?”  
“The doctor says food poisoning,” said Marco.  
“You don’t sound like you think that was right,” I said.  
“I don’t,” he said.  
“What do you think it was?” I asked.  
“I think someone tried to hurt Kim Marco,” he said.  
Jong kept looking at him as he drove. I was afraid he was going to wreck if he didn’t stop.  
“Well, I’m just glad you are feeling better,” I said.  
We pulled into the restaurant parking lot and as usual, Marco got out and stood at my door to make sure there weren’t any threats before I got out. Jong didn’t know what to make of this. Zico always told Marco to move but Jong stood by looking like a little boy waiting for a balloon.  
Finally, Marco opened my door and I thanked him. Jong looked back at Marco again and took my hand.  
“Don’t worry about him,” I said. “He knows what he’s doing. Just ignore him.”  
“I’ll try. Is he going to sit with us?” he asked.  
“No. He’ll watch by the door,” I said.  
The restaurant was nice. We were seated at a table in the corner where we had some privacy even though there were a lot of people dining here. My phone buzzed. I figured it was Zico so I didn’t look at my phone right away. The waiter came over and Jong ordered for us both. We were having a Korean dish that I hadn’t heard of before. My phone buzzed again so I took it out of my purse and was surprised to see a number I didn’t recognize. I opened the text.  
 _Unknown:_ **Are you busy tonight by any chance?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I’m sorry, but who is this?**  
I put my phone to the side and looked at Jong.  
“Is it Zico?” he asked and pointed to my phone.  
“No actually. I’m not sure who it is. It may be a wrong number.” My phone buzzed. I knew it was rude but I was curious as to who was texting me. Only four people had my number and I was here with two of them.  
 _Unknown:_ **Sorry. This is Ji-yong. I’m the one that you gave your number to before you left the station today. Unless you gave it to other people too. :(**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I didn’t. Just you. :)**  
I know I was sitting with Jong but I was more interested in what the man on the other end of these texts had to say than him.  
 _Unknown:_ **:D Would you like to have a late dinner with me tonight?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I’m sorry. I’m already at dinner.**  
I probably should have said more but I didn’t know what else to say.  
 _Unknown:_ **:( :( Are you going to be busy after dinner? We could have late night coffee and I can explain to you why you should know who I am. Lol**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I would love that! Can you pick me up at the Westin Hotel at around 10?**  
“Not a wrong number after all?” asked Jong. He tried to look at my screen but I moved it out of his view.  
“No. It was someone I just met and I didn’t have his number yet. Sorry. I don’t mean to be so rude,” I said.  
“No. No. It’s fine. ‘His’ number?” he asked.  
“It’s just a person I met at the broadcast station today. It’s nothing,” I said. I picked up my phone a little too fast when it buzzed.  
 _Unknown:_ **That would be great. I’ll be there. Have a nice dinner.**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Thank you. I look forward to seeing you.**  
I put my phone back into my purse. I was blushing and grinning and I couldn’t stop. I know I looked like an idiot.  
“That must have been a good text by the look on your face,” said Jong.  
“It was,” I said still grinning. “I’m sorry. I’m not being a very good date. But the phone is gone and I’m all yours.”  
“I like the sound of that!” he said and grabbed my hand. He moved our hands around until his fingers were laced with mine.  
I could feel my phone buzzing against my leg and I was dying to check it but I didn’t. I tried to concentrate on Jong but it was hard to do. I couldn’t help but wish that the time would go faster and I couldn’t believe I was this excited to meet someone other than Zico.  
“So, did Zico ask you about the other night?” I asked. I tried to sound nonchalant but I was failing.  
“I haven’t seen him. Why? Did he say something to you?” he asked.  
I didn’t know how much to tell him. “Uh, yeah, he asked about it.”  
“What did you say?” asked Jong.  
“I told him the truth. I said we slept and that was all,” I said.  
Jong laughed and sipped his water. “I’ll bet he believed that,” he said.  
“Well, let’s just say that you better not tell him any different,” I said.  
Jong raised one eyebrow. “I won’t.”  
We had a very nice time. Jong was a perfect gentleman and I don’t know if it’s because he’s really trying to be a good guy or because he was afraid of Marco. Either way, it was a good thing. I could only half concentrate the entire time because I kept thinking of coffee with Ji-yong. I wanted to leave Marco at home for that date but I knew there was no use even bringing it up. He wasn’t going anywhere.  
Jong wanted to hang out after dinner but I only had enough time to change and freshen up before ten. I made the excuse that I had to discuss business with someone. It wasn’t a total lie. I’m sure business would come up at some point in the conversation. I didn’t want to look too anxious so I asked Ji-yong to text or call me when he got here.  
I was waiting in the lobby, bouncing my knee in anticipation, when I felt my phone buzz. I had been holding it in my hand and when it vibrated I almost dropped it. I looked around to make sure that no one had seen me being completely inept and then I looked at the phone. There was two texts waiting. I had forgotten about the earlier one that I had ignored. They were both from Zico and I was actually a little disappointed. They said:  
 _Zico:_ **Where did you go?**  
 _Zico:_ **Why are you so dressed up so late at night?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I have a date.**  
 _I seriously think that man has a tracker on me somewhere. Or a camera. Or both. How does he always know everything?_  
 _Zico:_ **Jong?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **No**  
I was watching my phone for another text so I didn’t see Zico when he appeared beside me. When he spoke, I jumped. “So you’re cheating on Jong huh?” he said.  
“No. I’m free to see whomever I wish,” I said.  
Zico put a handful of peanuts in his mouth and sat down beside me. I listened to him crunch. Then after slurping his soda, he asked,”Well, are you going to tell me who this mystery man is?  
“Kwon Ji-yong,” I said.  
Zico choked on his drink. I watched as he tried to regain his composure. “G-Dragon called you? He asked you out?”  
“Thanks for sounding so surprised! That’s great for my self-confidence!” I said.  
“It’s not that,” he said. It was that.  
My phone jingled and I answered a little more quickly than I had intended. _Good job on not looking too anxious!_ “Hello?”  
“I’m waiting if you’re ready,” he said.  
“Alright. I’ll be right there,” I said and hung up. _Crap! Was that rude?_ “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.” I got up to leave.  
“How much later?” asked Zico.  
“I couldn’t say,” I said.  
“Where is he taking you?” he asked.  
“For coffee.” I wanted to be as vague as possible while still being honest. “I gotta go.” I turned to leave again.  
“You’re a little over dressed for coffee aren’t you?”  
I turned back to him. “I don’t know where else we might go and I wanted to look nice for him,” I said. “Now, is there anything else or can I go?”  
“I thought I asked you to turn him down,” he said.  
“So?” I asked.  
“You didn’t,” he said.  
I just laughed. “Of course I didn’t.” I also didn’t wait around to hear anything else Zico had to say. When I walked outside, Ji-yong was leaning against his car and looking so cute. He opened the door for me and I gave him a flirty smile as I got in.  
When he got in, he started to giggle. He put a hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little nervous,” he said.  
“You are? Why?” I asked.  
“I’m always a little nervous when I meet someone new. Aren’t you?” he asked and pushed a button to start the car.  
“I guess so. I don’t feel that nervous with you though,” I said.  
He adjusted the gear shift and said, “Maybe you should.” He wiggled his eyebrows.  
I pretended to reach for the door handle and he grabbed my hands and said, “No! I was kidding. You’re safe!”  
That made me think of something. I sat up and said, “Wait a minute! Where’s Kim Marco?”  
“Who?” asked Ji-yong.  
“My bodyguard. He was with me at dinner and then I came back here to change and when I came out he was gone. I got so used to him being gone that I didn’t notice.” I felt guilty. And worried.  
“You have a bodyguard?” he asked.  
“I had some death threats made against me and Zico thought it was a good idea. I hate this, I really do, but I have to find him.” It was going to kill me to miss this date but I needed to know that Marco was okay. _If he’s laying around in his underwear watching television, I’m going to kill him!_ I thought.  
“I understand. Can’t you just call him?” he asked.  
 _Of course I can. I’m such a dunce sometimes!_ “Yes I can!” I got out my phone and touched the icon with Marco’s chubby little face smiling out at me with that gold tooth gleaming. It began to ring and I listened until it went to voice mail. Then I tried to call five more times. I left a voice mail that said for him to call me. Then I called Zico.  
“Hey,” he answered.  
“Zico, I can’t find Kim Marco. I haven’t seen him since dinner,” I said.  
“Calm down. He’s a bodyguard. I think he can take care of himself,” said Zico.  
I was chewing on my bottom lip. “Please try to find him for me.”  
“Maybe he was in the bathroom when you left and he doesn’t know you’re gone,” he said. He didn’t sound the least bit worried and I was getting ticked off.  
“Zico! Please! Go and find him!” I was trying not to shout. Ji-yong was watching me with a concerned look on his face.  
“Just call him!” said Zico.  
“Don’t you think I tried that! He isn’t answering!”  
Ji-yong put a hand on my arm. “We can go in and try to find him if you’d like,” he said.  
“Fine! I’ll go look,” said Zico at the same time.  
“Call me as soon as you find him!” I said.  
Zico just hung up.  
“I’m so sorry for this,” I said.  
Ji-yong smiled. “It’s okay. You must care a lot about this bodyguard,” he said.  
“He’s my best friend,” I said.  
“That’s a little odd. Most bodyguards are just background and you don’t get to know them,” he said.  
I kept looking at my phone and willing it to ring. “Marco saved my life once and I’ve gotten really close to him. He was sick recently and he was afraid someone had tried to poison him. I probably wouldn’t be so worried if that hadn’t happened.” My phone rang. “Zico?” I answered.  
“Elizabeth, I need you to come into the lobby,” said Zico. He sounded too much like he was trying to be calm so that I wouldn’t freak out. It was freaking me out!  
“Why? What is it? Zico, you’re scaring me,” I said. I felt like I was on the verge of nervous tears.  
“Just please come in here. Don’t panic. I just need for you to come inside,” said Zico.  
Something was wrong. This time I hung up on him. “I have to go back in. Something’s wrong. Zico sounds weird. Something has happened to my Kim Marco!” My insides were jangling and I could almost taste the sourness of the panic I felt.  
“I’ll come with you,” said Ji-yong as he unbuckled his belt.  
I was afraid to go into the lobby and I was afraid not to. I could feel the energy zinging through my body like tiny bolts of lightening. Ji-yong grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. When we went in the door, I could hear police sirens coming toward the hotel. Zico’s face was white and his cocky look was gone. He took my hand from Ji-yong’s and led me back to the seat we had occupied earlier. Ji-yong leaned against a column to wait but he kept his eyes on me.  
“Listen, I found Kim Marco. He was in the stairwell and there was a lot of blood. Too much blood,” said Zico.  
The world began swirling and then turning gray and then I was gone.


	18. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Eighteen:: There are no allies, They say colleagues will soon be enemies (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco's fate, Kwon Ji-Yong, Ecstasy, and of course Zico.

I was in complete shock. I didn’t think I could live without Kim Marco. He was more than my bodyguard. He had become my friend. Maybe my best friend. Zico thought it was a good idea if I went in to see him but I didn’t know if I could take it. I knew I was going to break down or faint again. He had offered to go in with me but Jaehyo offered first and I had already accepted his offer. I sat outside the doors trying to work up my courage while Jaehyo held my hand. Zico stood on the opposite side of the hall staring into space. I didn’t know why he was even there.  
I looked at the doors and thought, _In that room is my Kim Marco. He’s laying there not trying to hide his golden toothed grin, not calling me Miss Elizabeth, and not sneaking drinks of my grape Slushie that he loved so much. I had forgotten him. I didn’t notice immediately that he was gone when I left my room because I had only been thinking of myself and my stupid date. Kim Marco always thought of me. ALWAYS!_ I started to cry.  
“Let’s go in. I’ll hold your hand the whole time. I promise,” said Jaehyo.  
Without looking up, Zico said, “She’ll go in when she’s ready.”  
Jaehyo looked up at Zico and then said, “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to help.” I knew he became uncomfortable when I started crying.  
“No, it’s okay. He’s right. I need to go. Kim Marco would have already been in there by my side if it were me laying in there,” I said. I stood up and smiled at Jaehyo. “Please don’t let go of my hand. I can’t go through this alone.”  
He stood up and smiled down at me in return. “Never.”  
We walked over to the doors and I couldn’t make myself go in. I was so afraid of what he was going to look like. I didn’t want to think of Marco as looking like anything but my big cherry cheeked, muscle teddy bear. I stood there with my hand on the door and Jaehyo put his free hand over mine. “It’s going to be okay,” he said.  
I pushed the door open and went in. He was laying on the over-sized bed that they had put him in with his eyes closed tight and his arms at his sides. I made myself walk over to the bed. I felt dizzy. His cheeks weren’t cherry colored now. They had a grayish tinge as did the rest of him. He didn’t even look like the same man. He looked helpless laying there and my Kim Marco NEVER looked helpless. I started to doubt that this was really him. I didn’t want it to be. I put my hand on his arm and it was cold. I pulled the blanket up to his chin. The thought of him being cold made my heart hurt.  
“Are you okay?” asked Jaehyo.  
I had almost forgotten he was there. I nodded but it was a lie. I was very far from okay. I touched the gold earring that I had bought for Marco and I bent over to put my mouth close to his ear. I closed my eyes and made a wish. Then I whispered “Marco” and hoped against hope that my wish would come true. I waited. It didn’t. He didn’t say “Polo” and my heart turned to dust.  
I had tried so hard to keep it together but I couldn’t hold my pain in any longer. I burst into tears. Jaehyo pulled me into a tight hug and rubbed my back without saying a word. He just let me cry. I had thought that if I could get him to say “Polo” then everything would be okay. _He always said it. ALWAYS! Even when I didn’t want him to!_ “He didn’t say it, Jaehyo! He didn’t say it! He ALWAYS says it!”  
“I know. I’m so sorry,” he said. I knew he had no idea what I was talking about but he was too sweet to say so. It didn’t even matter.  
“Who would do this? WHY would they do it?” I asked and looked up into Jaehyo’s face.  
“Zico thinks that someone was after you and Marco stopped them,” he said.  
“Why? I’m not even with Zico anymore! This is all my fault!” I cried harder.  
“NO! This is the fault of a crazy person. All Marco ever wanted to do was protect you and that’s what he did,” said Jaehyo and squeezed me tighter.  
I calmed down enough to turn back to Marco. I leaned over and kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, “I love you Kim Marco! Thank you for taking such good care of me.”  
The doctor came in then. I had to ask him a question even though I was terrified of the answer. I needed to know. “Doctor, do you think Marco will ever come out of this coma?”  
The doctor adjusted his glasses and said, “Anything is possible. It’s hard to judge these things. The brain puts the body in a coma to protect itself and so it can work on repairing itself without using too many resources on the rest of the body. There’s always hope as long as his body is staying alive on it’s own and doesn’t require life preserving equipment. He was stabbed twelve times but he was lucky enough that none of his vital organs were damaged. Someone with that kind of luck has a wonderful chance of survival in my opinion.” He smiled.  
I didn’t feel like smiling. I kissed Marco again and told him that I would be back and then Jaehyo and I left.  
  
Zico had insisted that I have another bodyguard since he believed that the real target had been me. I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was lay in my bed and do nothing. There was a knock on my door and I laid there and stared at it for a long time. Whoever it was knocked again and then a third time. Then my phone rang.  
“Oh for God’s sake,” I said as I got up and opened the door. It was Jong. He pushed his way into the room and shut the door and I just went back to the bed and got under the covers.  
“I just heard what happened. Are you alright?” he asked and came over to sit on the bed.  
“Not really,” I said. “I lost my Marco.”  
“He died?” asked Jong rather callously. In my opinion.  
“No. He’s in a coma and he may never come out of it. He lost too much blood before he was found which was my fault,” I said.  
“I’m so sorry. I know how much you liked him,” he said and pushed my hair behind my ear.  
“I still like him. I love him. He’s not gone, Jong,” I said.  
“I’m sorry. I know. I didn’t mean to be hurtful,” he said.  
“I know. Everything is hurtful right now. Just ignore me,” I said.  
“May I lay with you for a while?” he asked.  
“If you’d like,” I said. I didn’t care what he did. It didn’t matter to me if I was alone or not because the pain was just as bad either way.  
Jong scooted behind me and pulled me against him. He held me there, running his fingers up and down my arm and through my hair. It actually did feel better having someone there after all. We didn’t talk and it was nice. It was like he was sharing my pain.  
My phone buzzed but instead of looking at the text, I watched as my phone vibrated closer and closer to the edge of the table. Just before it fell, I caught it and saw that it was from Ji-Yong.  
 _Ji-Yong:_ **I know that you are having a hard time right now. I have some free time tonight if you’d like to come with me and try to forget about it for a while.**  
I didn’t know what to say. _Do I want to go? Would I actually feel better or just make Ji-Yong feel bad?_ I decided to go.  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Please come and get me. I really need to feel better tonight. Do you think you can make that happen?**  
I waited for a response. I could hear Jong snoring behind me.  
 _Ji-Yong:_ **I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wear a party dress.**  
I didn’t know if going to a party was a good idea but even being in as much pain as I was in, thinking of seeing Ji-Yong made me a little excited.  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Thank you. I’ll be ready.**  
I pulled out of Jong’s arms and quietly got ready. I put on my “disco ball” sequin dress, matching shoes, and glammed up my make-up and hair. I looked in the mirror and thought, _Go big or don’t go right? I don’t think anyone will be able to tell that my heart is broken tonight._ I grabbed my purse and very quietly left the room so that Jong didn’t wake up. _Sweet dreams, Jong and thank you for trying.  
_  
My new bodyguard, Song Minhyuk followed me outside. He was a big dumb muscle man with zero personality. I had tried to talk to him earlier but he wasn’t interested. Neither was I.  
When Ji-Yong pulled up, he got out of the car and came over to me. “New bodyguard?” he asked.  
“Yep,” I said and rolled my eyes.  
“Can we get rid of him?” he asked.  
“Not so far,” I answered.  
Ji-Yong looked at Minhyuk for a moment and then pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a bill and offered it to the bodyguard. “Will this convince you to get lost for tonight?” he asked.  
Minhyuk looked at the money and shook his head.  
Ji-Yong added a bill to it. “Now?”  
Minhyuk took a little longer but he still shook his head.  
Ji-Yong pulled out one more bill, “Last offer. Want the night off? I know this is more than you get paid in a night,” he said.  
Minhyuk stared at the money and to my surprise, he reached out and took it and walked back inside.  
I looked at Ji-Yong in shock. “I can’t believe he accepted that!” I said.  
“He sucks! You need a new bodyguard. If what I’ve heard about Zico is true, he won’t have a job tomorrow,” he said and opened the car door for me.  
Ji-Yong was awesome!  
  
I didn’t know what to expect when Ji-Yong told me we were going to a party at the home of his band mate, Seunghyun.  
“Have you heard of T.O.P.?” he asked.  
“Oh! Top! I’ve heard of him! He’s the tall good looking one right?” I said. Ji-Yong gave me a sideways glance and I winked at him.  
“How have you heard of T.O.P. but not G-Dragon? Have you been pulling my leg this whole time?” he asked.  
“No,” I said and laughed. “I don’t know why but I think I watched a show where they were talking about his movie role and they mentioned that he was in Big Bang.”  
“Alright. I guess I forgive you,” he said. We both laughed. “Have you ever been to a big celebrity party before?”  
“Define big,” I said.  
“Once a year, Seunghyun throws the biggest party for celebrities that isn’t an awards show party. There will be a lot of different groups and industry people there. It can get a little crazy. Is that okay?” he asked.  
“Sure. Why not. Anything to take my mind off of things,” I said and looked out the window at the passing scenery.  
I looked over at me. “I have to admit, I was sort of hoping this would be your first big party. I like being the one to introduce you to new things. If it becomes too much just let me know and we’ll leave,” he said.  
“Okay. Thank you,” I said. I felt a little uneasy that this party might be so wild that I wouldn’t be able to take it. _It couldn’t be any crazier than Club M._ Could it?  
I was comfortable when I was with Ji-Yong. It was a very different experience than being with Zico. Ji-Yong didn’t come back at everything I said with a sarcastic comment or boss me around all of the time. But I had to admit that I missed that sometimes. Actually, I missed Zico. A lot. I tried not to think of him except for when I was creating a wardrobe for him but I still dreamed of him every night. When Jong laid behind me, I would close my eyes and pretend it was Zico. I was only hurting myself by hanging on but it was so hard to let go,  
When we pulled up to Seunghyun’s house, I was a little overwhelmed. _I think I’m out of my depth here,_ I thought. It was like a palace on a hill. The house was gorgeous and there were already people everywhere. A valet opened my door and I knew that Seunghyun had spared no expense. It was intimidating. I could hear the music before we went into the house. Ji-Yong grabbed my hand and squeezed as he led me inside. He kept turning to look at me and I think he wanted to see the look on my face. I doubted that I was disappointing him. I probably looked like a little kid in the biggest best toy store ever.  
I didn’t know a lot about K-pop idols but I knew some and everyone that I knew about was here. Everyone was so beautiful and I felt out of place. I was a short, chubby, pale American girl amongst a group of people who’s job it was to be gorgeous. I felt like hiding but then I decided I would be all but invisible with these people anyway. I wondered why Ji-Yong wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with me but he seemed completely okay with it. He held my hand or put his arm around me and introduced me to everyone like he was with a model or something. Either he didn’t care what the others thought or he really was happy to be here with me.  
There were actual models moving around the crowd with trays of champagne. It seemed to be snowing bubbles everywhere we went. Different colored lights flashed and moved around the rooms. Some rooms had their own color while others were a mix. It was like being in a dream. The music was loud but not like at Club M. You could talk over it but you could still feel it moving through your body.  
We were joined by Young-Bae, who was a complete sweetheart. They included me in the conversation just like I was one of them and knew what they were talking about. I laughed when they did even though I mostly had no idea what they were laughing about. Ji-Yong gave me a glass of champagne and we went over to sit on a huge overstuffed sofa that was already filled with people. He pulled me against his side and I couldn’t help but smile. I sipped my champagne and watched everyone dancing and mingling while he talked to Young-Bae.  
Ji-Yong was exceptionally good looking tonight. He was dressed in tight black pants and an over-sized, white, silk dress shirt with tiny black dots. He also smelled really good. He smelled rich! I sneaked glances of his face when he was talking and the man was flawless. When he caught me staring at him, he would smile and his whole face lit up. _Why in the hell is he here with me?_  
I saw Top across the room. He was going around the room talking to everyone and it looked like he was giving them each something.  
“I see you’ve noticed Seunghyun,” said Ji-Yong.  
“He’s hard to miss,” I answered. He knew I was teasing him. “Is he handing out party favors?” I asked.  
“Ummmm, of sorts,” he said. Young-Bae laughed. “Take what he gives you but feel free to drop it on the ground after he leaves if you want.”  
“What? Why would I do that?” I asked.  
They both laughed and Ji-Yong whispered in my ear, “It’s ‘X’.”  
I was still confused. “What is that?”  
“Ecstasy,” said Young-Bae.  
“Ohhh. Do you take that?” I asked Ji-Yong.  
“I never have before but I haven’t decided about tonight. I won’t if you don’t want me to.”  
I didn’t know what to say. I looked at Young-Bae and asked, “Do you do it?”  
“Hell no! I don’t touch that crap,” he said.  
“He doesn’t even drink,” said Ji-Yong.  
“Well, it’s up to you really,” I said.  
“You sure? Because I was sort of leaning toward taking it tonight,” he said.  
“It’s whatever you want to do,” I said. I wasn’t making that decision for him. As for me, I was going to skip it.  
“Hey!” said Seunghyun when he got to us. “I didn’t think you were coming.”  
“I changed my mind. Great party hyung,” said Ji-Yong.  
“I know right? I think it’s bigger than last year!” he said and put a little purple pill in my hand and smiled at me. I looked at it and noticed it had a tiny crown on it. It looked like candy. He also handed me a bottle of water.  
“This is Elizabeth,” said Ji-Yong.  
Seunghyun put out his hand for me to shake. “Ohhh, so this is Elizabeth. Ji-Yong hasn’t shut up about you since he met you at the broadcast station.”  
“Hyung!” said Ji-Yong as he blushed.  
I felt myself beginning to blush too and I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Well, that is really good to know,” I said.  
“It’s very nice to finally meet you,” said Seunghyun as he started to move on. “I’m sure we’ll see more of each other soon.  
“I hope so,” I said and smiled at Ji-Yong. He blushed harder.  
He turned the little purple pill between his fingers. “Are you going to try it?” he asked.  
“I don’t think so,” I said and dropped mine in my purse.  
“Well, here goes,” he said and swallowed his.  
“I can’t believe you just did that,” said Young-Bae.  
“You can’t?” said Ji-Yong. They laughed again.  
“Well, I see Seungri over there so I’m going to go see if he just made the same mistake you did,” said Young-Bae. Ji-Yong punched his leg playfully as he got up to leave.  
A girl that Ji-Yong knew took Young-Bae’s place immediately but I hardly noticed. I was introduced and I think I said hello but my attention was across the room with the couple that had just walked in. My stomach flipped and I felt sick. There they were as big as life and definitely a couple. It was Zico and Alicia. He had changed his hair since earlier in the day. It was back to short and blond again and he looked absolutely delicious. Alicia was plastered to him and looking as slutty as ever. Her red dress was almost short enough to see the color of her panties, if she was even wearing any and her shoes were ridiculously tall. Not that she wasn’t tall enough already and now she towered over Zico. I think she liked it that way. She liked being in control and owning him.  
I knew I should but I couldn’t make myself look away. They stood across the room against the wall. His hand was on her waist and she was leaning into him like she couldn’t stand on her own. _No wonder in those shoes!_ I thought. I should have looked away. Alicia whispered in Zico’s ear and he laughed. Then he pushed her into the corner and began kissing her like no one else was around. I could feel tears starting to build up behind my eyes. The room became blurry and a single tear fell down my face. Ji-Yong laughed at something the girl beside him had said and I was glad he hadn’t noticed that I was dying on his other side.  
I opened my purse and dug around until I found the little purple pill. I looked at it for a second and without thinking for too long, I swallowed it. I didn’t know if it would turn out to be a mistake and at that moment I didn’t care. I just wanted all this pain to go away. I didn’t know how long it would take for it to affect me but I hoped it would be quick. I also didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anything about Ecstasy. I hadn’t eaten and I had already had two glasses of champagne so I didn’t expect to have a great result.  
I looked back over at Zico and Alicia and he still had her in the corner, his hands all over her, and her body practically wrapped around his. I wiped at my eyes so that Ji-yong wouldn’t notice. I started to see other members of Block B across the room as well. None of them had noticed me and I was glad. I didn’t want them to.  
Ji-Yong’s hand started rubbing my back and I decided to ignore the porn show across the room and to put all of my attention into him. He was amazing after all. He leaned up and said, “Wanna dance?”  
“Absolutely,” I said. He stood up and pulled me with him. He must have already started feeling his little purple pill because he pulled me into an extremely tight embrace and began swaying very sensually. His hands ran over my back until eventually they made their way down. Then he put a hand in my hair and held me while his mouth covered mine. He was such a good kisser. His tongue was slow and deliberate as it made it’s way around my mouth. He tasted like champagne.  
The ‘X’ must have been working on me too because his every touch felt like electricity. The hairs on my arms were standing up and wherever his mouth touched me felt orgasmic. If he had wanted to strip me down and make love to me right there in front of everyone, I wouldn’t have said no. Every movement seemed to be in slow motion. The lights were brighter and more beautiful. The bubbles were like crystal spheres and as we danced, we tried to catch them with our mouths. I couldn’t stop touching his silk shirt until eventually, my hands were under his shirt, enjoying the feel of his skin.  
Someone put a bottle of water in my hands and ordered me to drink. I did. I wanted more but Ji-Yong said no. I watched as he danced and glitter began to fall from somewhere above us. He was sparkling and beautiful and all I wanted was to touch him all over. When the music became faster, he would close his eyes and put his head back and move with the beat. I grabbed him and licked his neck. I sunk my teeth into his skin and sucked him in. He moaned and then did the same to me. As he kissed my neck and chest and we moved together, I saw Zico watching us. He wasn’t laughing anymore or even looking like he was having a good time. The little purple pill had worked though. When I looked at Alicia running her hands down his chest, I felt no pain. I was actually happy.  
“I really need to go,” said Ji-Yong into my ear. At first I thought he meant leave the party but then I realized we were moving through the crowd to the bathroom. I waited outside the door for him and Seunghyun came over to me. He was feeling as good as I was.  
“I see you decided to partake in my party favor,” he said into my ear.  
“Yes. Thank you,” I said.  
“May I touch your dress. It looks like stars and moonlight and I wanted to see what that would feel like,” he said.  
I laughed. “You can touch whatever you want,” I said.  
He put his hand over my breast and closed his eyes. “Ah, starlight feels like electric shocks. I thought it might.” His other hand rubbed down the side of my body. “Moonlight feels soft and bright and like something I would like to eat,” he said. His thumb ran over my nipple which immediately became hard. “Thank you. That was wonderful,” he said and moved on.  
I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. I felt like I could taste the music and it was a strange sensation. I loved it. It tasted like metal. Then a rough hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me down a hallway. I was shoved into a dark room and against what felt like a pool table. “Did you take the pill you were given?” someone asked me. I knew the voice but I couldn’t immediately place it and it didn’t occur to me at the time to open my eyes. His voice tasted like rich chocolate. It was smooth and velvety.  
“I did,” I said.  
“You are so stupid sometimes! Why do you do these things? What are you even doing here?” he asked.  
I opened my eyes. Zico was glaring down at me. I didn’t answer at first because I just wanted to look at him in the darkness. He was also sparkling. He picked me up and sat me on the table and leaned into me.  
“I’m here with Ji-Yong. You are so beautiful. Can I touch your face?” I asked.  
“Stop it! You need to wake up! You are going to end up doing something that you regret,” he said.  
I put my hand on his cheek. It was soft and reminded me of a baby chick. “Like what?” I asked.  
“Like letting a bunch of guys sleep with you, that’s what!” He pulled my hand away from his face. I stared at his lips and had a sudden craving for them. I put my arms around his neck and sucked his bottom lip into my mouth. I could feel him begin to pull away but then he took over and started kissing me back. He grabbed the back of my head and mashed his mouth hard against mine. His tongue intertwined with mine. It felt like he was trying to devour me and I was fine with it. I wanted to give him all of me. I wanted him to undress me and make love to me on the pool table. Instead, he pulled away from me completely and stepped back. “We can’t do this. I’m here with someone else and so are you.”  
I slid off of the table and wiped the wetness from my mouth. I didn’t see a need to say anything else so I started for the door when he grabbed my wrist again. I turned toward him and he said, “Will you go home if I ask you to? I’ll get someone to take you.”  
“Like you said, I’m here with someone. I can’t just go. Thanks for the offer though,” I said and left the room. I saw Ji-Yong leaning against the wall and another girl was trying to talk to him. I didn’t care if it was rude, it didn’t even occur to me that it would be rude, but I went to him and pushed him against the wall and kissed him. I gave him the kiss that I wanted to give Zico. It was a hungry longing kiss and he kissed me back. When I pulled away, he still had his eyes closed and he smiled the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.  
“Can I take you upstairs?” he asked.  
I heard the word bitch somewhere behind me and I thought it might be directed at me but I didn’t care. “What’s upstairs?” I asked.  
“Hopefully it will be you. Naked,” he said and finally opened his eyes.  
I looked over at Zico who was staring at me. He was dancing with Alicia and she began kissing him. He looked like he was trying to swallow her whole. “Will you be naked too?” I asked and turned back to Ji-Yong.  
“Most likely,” he said. “You can say no if you want. No pressure.”  
“I don’t want to. Why don’t you show me what’s upstairs?” I said.  
He gave me another sweet kiss and took my hand. He led me upstairs and I watched Zico watching me. Then he looked away and I lost sight of him.  
It seemed like the stairs were never ending. We climbed and climbed but when we reached the top, the floor we were on was empty. Apparently it was off limits to guests. Ji-Yong took me into the first room we came to. Even though it was dark, I could tell that it was a bedroom befitting a palace. The round bed in the middle of the room was on a platform and was surrounded by silky transparent curtains. He picked me up and carried me to the bed, putting me down on my knees. He started unzipping my dress and said, “This dress feels like shards of glass against my skin. How can you stand to wear it?” He pulled it down to my waist.  
“Top said it felt like stars and moonlight,” I said.  
“When did he feel your dress?” asked Ji-Yong and pulled back to look at me.  
“When you were in the bathroom,” I said and pulled him back to me. I was trying to unbutton his shirt but I was getting distracted by the feel of the silk. I wondered what it would be like to bathe in silk. He watched as I undid each button. Then I slowly slid the silk off of him, letting my hands run over his shoulders and down his arms. As he continued trying to undress me, I started to trace his tattoos with my finger.  
“You don’t have any tattoos do you,” he asked when I was finally naked.  
“No,” I said and leaned in to run my tongue over the curly lettering on his skin.  
He pushed me back into the bed and straddled my body, taking both of my hands in his and pushing them into the bed on each side of my head. “We will have to change that,” he said and kissed me. He let go of my hands so that he could hold my breasts.  
“What do you think I should get?” I asked and closed my eyes. His every touch caused fireworks to explode behind my eyelids.  
He took one of my nipples into his mouth and then said, “My name.” As he spoke, his breath tickled me and I laughed. “You think that’s funny huh?” he said and playfully bit my breast.  
“No, you tickled me,” I said. I put my hands in his hair. It felt like feathers. “Where should I get your name tattooed on my body?” I asked.  
“Well, I would like to see Kwon Ji-Yong right here,” he said and ran his tongue from my right hip up to the side of my breast. “And on this side, I want G-Dragon,” he said and ran his tongue from my left breast down to my left hip. He lingered there and started kissing his way down to my thigh and then kept going. He pushed my thighs apart and stuck his tongue deep into me. I couldn’t help but yell out and push into him. He worked his tongue into me until I felt like my body was going to float away. I heard screaming and realized it was me.  
Ji-Yong moved back up to kiss me. He said, “I was told that it was impossible to get hard on ‘X’ but I don’t seem to be having that problem.” He smiled and started to move into me but I pulled away.  
“Not yet,” I said. “It’s my turn.”  
I pushed him over onto his back and he said, “But what if I lose it. I may never get it back.”  
I had to laugh at that. “I won’t let you lose it,” I said.  
I kissed my way down to his hardness and took him into my mouth. Now he was the one calling out. His hands were clenching the blankets and I took hold of one of them and held his hand as I sucked him in and slowly pulled him out of my mouth.  
“That’s enough!” he said and pulled me up and away from what I was doing. “No more. I want you now.” He pulled me up into a sitting position and pushed himself into me all at once. I wrapped my arms around his neck and ran my tongue along this ear until my mouth connected with his. We were moaning into each others mouths as he became faster and harder. He rolled me over onto my back where he could go even deeper. “What does it feel like?” he asked.  
“What does what feel like?” I said between sighs.  
“What does it feel like to have a man buried inside of you? He asked and licked my neck as he pushed harder into me.  
“That’s hard to answer,” I said. “It sort of hurts but it’s a good pain. It makes you feel full and sexy and I don’t know how else to describe it.”  
“Would I know the same feeling if I let you use a strap-on on me?” he said.  
I didn’t know what to say to that. “I doubt it. That’s a completely different feeling. And by the way, I’m not into that,” I said.  
“Into what? Wearing a strap-on?” he asked.  
“Well, I don’t know about that but I’m talking about anal,” I said.  
“I bet you could be,” he said and bit my shoulder.  
“I don’t think so,” I said.  
“Would you let me try if I asked?”  
I could feel myself reaching the edge and I knew I would soon go over it. It became hard to talk. “I might.”  
“I want to have you every way I can have you,” he said.  
I started to come and anything else he said was lost. My head began to buzz and my body took control. I felt like every cell in my body was in ecstasy. Everything tingled. I couldn’t even control the sounds that were coming out of my mouth and I knew I was being very loud. When I started to come back to my senses, I heard the door open. Ji-Yong apparently didn’t hear it and continued getting deeper and harder and kissing me wherever his mouth could reach. I looked over and saw the silhouette of Zico standing in the doorway. Then the door slammed. I felt dizzy.  
Ji-Yong pulled out of me and turned me over onto my stomach. He put a pillow under my hips and I was a little afraid that he was going to try something that I just wasn’t ready for but he didn’t. He entered me from behind and then laid on my back as he got closer and closer to his own orgasm. His fingers ran over my body and tickled me as he put gentle kisses on my back and the back of my neck.  
“What does it feel like for you?” I asked.  
He laid his cheek on my back and said, “Ummm, it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s warm and wet and soft. It’s comforting and if I could just stay here inside of you for days, I would.” He reached under me and held my breasts in each of his hands as his breathing became harder and soft sounds began to come from the back of his throat. I felt him grow inside of me until finally he found his release. He rolled onto his back, out of breath and laughing, and pulled me into his side.  
“DAMN THAT WAS AWESOME!” he yelled and hit the bed.  
I laughed too. My body was still tingling but I think it was more the effects of the drug than the orgasm. I thought again of Zico in the doorway and I wished that he had joined us instead of leaving. That was also the drug but I didn’t care. I kept picturing Ji-Yong behind me and Zico in front of me. It made me want to come again.  
After a few minutes, Ji-Yong said, “I guess we had better rejoin the party.”  
“If you insist,” I said.  
We went back to the party and danced and kissed and just enjoyed each other. I didn’t see Zico again at the party.  
  
I didn’t get back to the hotel until four in the morning. I was still under the influence of the ‘X’ and I didn’t know how long it would last. When I went in, I went straight to the shower and didn’t notice Zico sitting in the dark waiting for me. My shower was long because I was enjoying the feeling of the water on my skin until it started to get cold and I had to get out. It felt like tiny fingers massaging me and I didn’t want it to stop. I got out and dried off. The towel was soft and I kept moving it slowly up and down my body. I combed my hair and didn’t bother putting any night clothes on. The feeling of being naked was too nice to ruin with more clothes.  
I cut off the light and went to my bed but all of a sudden, I was pushed down and a heavy weight covered me. A hard punishing mouth crushed mine and hands that seemed to hate me, gripped my wrists and held my arms hard against the bed. “How could you?” he said. That’s when I knew it was Zico. “How could you do that to me?”  
He bit me and squeezed my wrists until I cried out in pain.  
“What did I do? What did I do to you?” I asked. I really didn’t understand why he was hurting me.  
“I saw you. It made me want to tear my fucking eyes out! I had to go and throw up!” he said. He let me go and stood up. I couldn’t see him clearly because the light from the window was so dim but I could tell he was hating me. I didn’t need to see him to feel the anger coming from him. I watched as he took off his clothes and then climbed over me.  
“What are you doing, Zico?” I asked.  
“You think I’m going to let some other man be the last one inside of you? All you had to do was wait! I told you I needed time to work things out. You couldn’t give me that? I’ve been fucking good to you and you couldn’t even give me that?” Zico bit me again on the other shoulder.  
“I didn’t do anything wrong. You were with Alicia so…”  
“Yes I was and do you know what I did after I found you with G-Dragon? I took her back to her apartment and I fucked the hell out of her. How does that feel? Or can you even feel anything right now?” He slapped me. “CAN YOU FEEL ANYTHING?”  
I started to cry. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” I said.  
“If I could use battery acid on my brain to erase the sight of him fucking you I would do it! The only thing I know to do is to fuck you myself and hope that it erases that memory for me. Open your legs,” he said.  
“I’m so tired, Zico. I just want to go to sleep,” I said and I could feel the tears pooling in my hair at the sides of my head.  
He slapped me again. “OPEN YOUR LEGS!”  
I did as I was told. Without any preparation, he pushed himself inside of me and it started to burn. I wasn’t ready and it hurt. Just as the ‘X’ made the good feelings better, it seemed to make the bad ones worse. He wasn’t easy or loving or caring or any of the things you are supposed to be when you made love. But then this wasn’t making love. This was a punishment. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, almost choking me and not caring. His pelvis hitting against mine was leaving bruises.  
“What do you think your new boyfriend will think when he finds out I fucked you tonight? I doubt he’s going to want to stick around,” he said as he hurt me.  
“What about Alicia?” I asked. “What is she going to do?”  
“She’ll do what I tell her to do. Now shut up,” he said and became harder and faster. He bit into my breast. Then he leaned up to look down at me without slowing down and said, “You had better come for me! I’M SURE YOU CAME FOR HIM. DIDN’T YOU?”  
I was getting angry. “YES! HE MADE ME COME HARDER THAN YOU EVER HAVE!” I shouted back at him.  
He slapped me again but harder. “You will come for me! And you better scream or we’ll do it again and again until you do!”  
“Hurt me all you want, Zico! I’ll never come for you again! Now that I know what it’s like to be fucked by someone who knows what he’s doing, nothing you could do will make me come,” I said. I wanted to hurt him as much as he was hurting me.  
“SHUT UP YOU LYING BITCH!” he yelled.  
He was right. I was lying. I could feel myself coming closer and closer to orgasm with each stroke and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold it back. He put his mouth close to my ear and kept whispering, “You will come. You will come for me. I won’t stop until you come.” That did it. I felt my body falling over the edge of the cliff and I just let it. I bit my lip to keep from calling out. I wouldn’t give him that much satisfaction but I did come and hard. Holding it back made it worse and he started whispering, “That’s right. Come for me little girl. You know I’m the only one that can make you come that hard.”  
When it passed, I had no energy left. I didn’t want to let him come inside of me but no matter how hard I fought to push him away, he just pushed me back down. As he came he said, “You should have waited for me! You should have given me time! Why did you have to give yourself to someone else so easily?” He started to cry and he didn’t try to hide it. “I didn’t want to go back to Alicia! I wanted to come back to you and now I can’t! You ruined everything! If you had waited I would have come back to you. I FUCKING LOVED YOU! I KNEW THAT WHEN I LEFT. NOW ALL I CAN SEE IS HIM ON TOP OF YOU! WHY COULDN’T YOU WAIT FOR ME? DIDN’T YOU LOVE ME AT ALL?” When he was finished, he was crying too hard to talk. He laid on me and cried into my hair. I knew nothing I could say would help so I kept silent.  
After about ten minutes, he got up and didn’t say a word. He got dressed and went to the door.  
“Zico?” I said.  
“What?” he said.  
“It’s easy to say all of that after the fact. But I saw you with Alicia before I did anything with Ji-Yong. I saw you before you saw me and I think you are the liar. You were there as a couple and I was the furthest thing from your mind. So I’m sorry if what I did hurt you but you hurt me first and I didn’t do anything wrong.”  
The whole time I spoke, he never turned around. He stood there for a long time and then he said “Maybe you’re right. I knew what was in my mind but you could only see what was going on on the outside. Either way, I still won tonight.” He opened the door and left.


	19. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Nineteen:: A chance to talk without being cursed at is given (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth begins to take charge of her life...

I hadn’t closed my curtain the night before and when the sun came up, it shined right into my face. I rolled over and pulled the blankets over my head. I didn’t feel like getting up. I didn’t feel like doing anything. But no matter how badly I wanted to ignore the world today, I had a lot to do. I needed to visit Marco. Then I had to take the clothes that Zico would wear as an MC to the broadcast station. Ji-Yong wanted to take me but he had his own event he had to attend. After that I needed to pack because I was moving to another hotel. I had already made the reservations for a suite that would be so much more comfortable than my room for so many reasons. It would be more like an apartment than just a room, Ji-Yong could visit more comfortably, and I wouldn’t have to worry about Zico just walking in all of the time. I didn’t need to live in the same hotel as my boss. I could just as easily email him the sets for his approval and he could say yes or no the same way. Then tonight I had a date with Jong.  
I had a full day and no motivation. I was praying that I wouldn’t have to deal with Zico for obvious reasons but I usually wasn’t that lucky. The truth was, I wasn’t even that angry with him. I understood why he was acting the way he was. Zico wanted it all. He wanted me and Alicia and he wanted us to be okay with it but that was never going to happen and he knew it. It was something he couldn’t control and he didn’t know how to deal with that. If he couldn’t have us both, he wanted the one he couldn’t have to stay alone. That also wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t angry for two reasons: 1) Just seeing Zico with Alicia tore my heart out and I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to walk in on them in bed, and 2) in my heart, I secretly wanted Zico. I wanted him to be hurt by my relationship with Ji-Yong and I just wanted him. Physically. He didn’t treat me very well last night but I had wanted him. It was pitiful on my part but even if I could only have him angry and punishing, I would take it.  
I got up and had a hot shower hoping that it would improve my mood but it didn’t. It just made me hot. I thought of Ji-Yong and began touching myself. He had been so great but it wasn’t until I thought of Zico watching us that I came. I had such a problem.  
Getting dressed, I remembered that I had turned off my phone before I went to sleep. When I turned it on, it started buzzing like crazy. I had sixteen missed calls and five texts. I opened and answered them one by one.  
 _Jong:_ **Am I still picking you up at 8?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Yes. I’ll be ready.**  
Then,  
 _Jaehyo:_ **I’m so sorry. I can’t go with you to see Marco today. Minhyuk said he would go if you didn’t want to go alone. Is that okay?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **You are so sweet! I’ll be fine by myself. Tell Minhyuk he’s off the hook. Lol Thanks to both of you!**  
Next,  
 _Ji-Yong:_ **GOOD MORNING! I hope you are feeling better than I am this morning. Missing your face… and other parts. ;) Mmmwwaahh! <3 <3 <3**  
 _Ji-Yong:_ **Wish I could see you tonight. :(**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I wish I could see you too. I don’t feel any better than you I’m sure. I guess there is such a thing as too much fun! ;) My face…and my parts can’t wait to see you again! Kisses! <3**  
I wanted to ignore Zico’s text but he was the one that had made the calls and he was still my boss so I opened it and held my breath.  
 _Zico:_ **If you’re going to work for me, you have to answer your damn phone! You can’t ignore me!**  
A text wasn’t going to do it. I was going to have to call him. _Well, so much for avoiding Zico today!_ I pushed the call back button and closed my eyes.  
“Why in the hell didn’t you answer your phone all night?” he said when he answered.  
“Good morning to you too. What did you need?” I said. I didn’t feel like playing his games today.  
“Don’t forget I have a schedule today,” he said.  
“I have everything ready. It’s not like you’re going to wear what I bring anyway,” I said. I felt snippy and he was my target.  
“You’re getting paid for it either way so don’t worry about it,” he sniped back.  
“Is that it? I need to go,” I said.  
“The show isn’t until 3. Where do you have to go?” he asked.  
I could have been difficult but I didn’t have the energy. “I’m going to see Marco before I drop your clothes off.”  
“You aren’t staying for the show? What if there is a wardrobe malfunction?” he asked.  
“I’m sure Alicia is more than capable of fixing her malfunctions,” I said.  
“Whatever. I have a radio show in the morning too. It’s online so I need a set for that,” he said.  
“That’s Block B so that’s Alicia’s problem. Not mine,” I answered.  
He was quiet for a moment.  
“Is that it?” I asked.  
“Um, about last… never mind. I’ll see you at the station,” he said and hung up.  
 _Not if I see you first!_ I thought. I finished getting ready. My phone buzzed but I didn’t look at it because I thought it was Zico. When I grabbed it as I was walking out the door, I saw that it was actually from Ji-Yong.  
 _Ji-Yong:_ **Can I see you tonight around 1am? I know it’s extremely late but I’m busy until then and I don’t know if I can sleep unless I see you at least once. :D**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **What are we going to do at 1 in the morning? Lol**  
He answered immediately. _Ji-Yong:_ **I’ll come up with something.**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I would love to see you at any time of day!**  
 _Ji-Yong:_ **Great! I’ll pick you up. I hope you have a good day.**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **I will now. I have something to look forward to!**  
I had to smile as I put my phone in my purse. Ji-Yong made me smile.  
  
Marco was the same. I made another wish and whispered “Marco” into his ear but still no “Polo” came from his lips. I wasn’t going to give up. One day I would hear that sweet gruff voice again. He was going to get better and tell me who did this to him and I was going rip their effing heart out! At least that was my plan! I talked to Marco and told him what had been going on. All except for my taking Ecstasy. I didn’t want him to know about that. When it was time to go, I kissed his cheek and told him that I loved him and I left.  
At the station, I tried to sneak in and sneak out but I wasn’t quick enough. I put Zico’s clothes in his dressing room but on my way out, Jaehyo stopped me. This show wasn’t for Block B but Zico had asked him to be there. He didn’t know why either but I did when I found out that he had asked Jaehyo to come at the last minute. Zico knew that I was leaving and he also knew that I’d stay and talk to Jaehyo if he asked me to.  
“Where are you off to?” he asked.  
“I have to pack,” I said. A man with a headset came by and gave each of us a drink. It was really strange. Especially since Jaehyo’s drink was still in the can and mine was in a glass with ice and a straw. Jaehyo didn’t question it. He opened the can and took a big drink.  
“Pack? Are you taking a trip?” he asked.  
“Nope. I’m moving,” I said and sipped the drink without thinking.  
“Moving? Why? Where?” He gave me the pouty puppy face that I never can resist.  
“I’m renting my own suite at another hotel. Don’t worry. I’m still going to be close. I just think it’s time I get a little distance from Zico and Alicia,” I said and took another drink.  
“Well, I don’t think you should go too far. They are already fighting like they used to. She’s putting her nose into places it doesn’t belong and trying to take control of him again.”  
“Well…” I didn’t know what else to say about that. Zico kept watching me and Jaehyo and I knew he was hoping I was staying. “I really have to go, Jaehyo. I’ll talk to you soon okay?” I kissed his cheek and he blushed. He was so cute. I finished the drink and handed him the glass. “Bye,” I said and left.  
I wanted to be packed and gone before Zico came back. I actually felt a little sad at leaving this room behind. A lot had happened here but I had to leave sometime. This was a hotel. Not a place to live.  
I went over to the new hotel. My suite was near the top floor with a balcony and looking over the banister made me dizzy. I could see the other hotel from here and if Zico had his curtains open and I had a pair of binoculars, I could probably see everything he was doing. _I also suppose the reverse it true so I had better keep my curtains closed!_ I thought.  
I heard a bell ring. _I have a doorbell! Yay!_ I went to the door and not only did I have a bell, I also had a monitor so I could see who was outside. It was Jong. I watched him for a minute or two on the monitor just because I could and he actually looked nervous. He ran his finger over his teeth and smoothed his hair. He straightened his sweater and I had to admire the beauty of Lee Jong Suk. I opened the door.  
“Hey Jong! You’re really early,” I said and moved so that he could come in.  
“Well, I had to come and see the new set up. Pretty nice,” he said and looked around.  
“I really like it. It’s nice and roomy and best of all, it’s away from Zico!” I couldn’t help but to make that little jab.  
“Yeah, I liked that too,” he said and pulled me into a hug. I tried to keep it a friendly hug but he made it hard when his hands wanted to roam around. He leaned in and kissed me before I could dodge him. “Mmm, almonds?” he asked.  
“What?”  
“You taste like almonds,” he said.  
I pulled out of his arms and took his hand. “Jong, come over here and sit down. We need to talk,” I said and led him to the couch. I dreaded this talk. Jong had been really sweet to me lately and I didn’t want to lead him on without telling him that I was also seeing Ji-Yong.  
“Uh-oh,” he said as I led him down into the inset sitting area. I loved how it was at a lower level than the rest of the suite and seemed to float out into the air. The round wall of floor to ceiling windows also made it feel like we were practically sitting outside. “This sounds like a bad talk,” he said.  
“Um, I guess it depends on how you decide to handle it,” I said. We sat down.  
“Please don’t stop seeing me. I finally got you away from Zico and I really like you, Elizabeth. I don’t think I’ve ever had the same feelings for a woman that I have for you,” he said and held my hands like he was desperate.  
He wasn’t going to make this easy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and then I looked into his eyes. “Jong, I’m not saying that I don’t want to see you anymore. I like spending time with you but I wanted to let you know that I have also started spending time with someone else.”  
He looked hurt and that was the exact look I didn’t want to see from him. He was supposed to be “good time Jong” with no real attachments. The Jong who used women for what he could get and then left them. The Jong that didn’t care if you were seeing someone else as long as you knew he was seeing other women too. He wasn’t supposed to be the Jong that got hurt or said things like “I really like you”! What happened to the Jong that I could use to get revenge on Zico and then toss aside because I knew he was doing the same thing?  
“Who else are you seeing? Do I know him?” he asked.  
“It’s Kwon Ji-Yong. Have you heard of him?” I asked.  
He gave me a look of suspicion. Then his eyes became huge. “You’re seeing G-Dragon?” He let go of my hands and stood up. “No you are not. NO YOU ARE NOT!” He walked over to stand in front of the bank of windows and ran a hand through his silky black hair. It stood up sexily. He turned back to me and said, “This can’t be happening. I couldn’t compete with Zico much less with G-Dragon! I just can’t compete!” Now he was walking back and forth talking to the air. “G-Dragon,” he said and laughed. “Of course. Why not! WHY THE HELL NOT!”  
I stood up and went to him and took his hands to stop his pacing. “I didn’t say I was only seeing him, Jong. I still want to go out with you too but only if you want to.”  
“Share a woman with G-Dragon?” he said and then stopped dead. He had just realized something. “I can share a woman with G-DRAGON!”  
I shook my head. “You are something else,” I said and laughed. We sat back down.  
“No! You don’t get it! I doubt anyone else has ever been able to say they’ve shared a woman with G-Dragon!” he said.  
“What is so freaking special about Ji-Yong?” I asked.  
Jong looked at me like I had uttered the worst of all the curse words. “Haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘It doesn’t matter if G-Dragon isn’t your bias. He’s your bias’ bias!’”  
I laughed so hard at that. Jong actually laughed too. “No, I hadn’t heard that. But I don’t have a bias either,” I said.  
“Well, trust me. You are in the position that a million girls would kill to be in. So be careful!”  
“So you still want to go out then?” I asked and wiped at my eyes.  
“Yes, as long as you aren’t sleeping with us both. I don’t think I could handle that!” he said and stood up with his hand held out to me.  
I didn’t say a word. I wasn’t, in actuality, sleeping with them both. Just Ji-Yong. But Jong didn’t need to know about the details of my other dates. That was my business. I took his hand and allowed him to help me up. He hugged me again. This time his hands stayed where they belonged.  
  
Dinner with Jong had been a lot of fun. He talked more about Ji-Yong than anything and asked a lot of questions that I didn’t know the answers to. I didn’t know Ji-Yong that well actually. I had only slept with him because I was high and I didn’t plan to again until I knew him a lot better. Jong was a gentleman and I wasn’t use to that from him. I hoped he was exaggerating when he said that he had feelings for me. I had had enough of jealous men for a long while. I just wanted to go out and have fun and not worry about hurting anyone or getting hurt.  
Jong had offered to walk me to my suite but I told him I would be fine and kissed him at the elevator door. I knew that if he came up, he would want to stay and I had to get ready to see Ji-Yong at 1. I didn’t know what we would be doing so I didn’t know what to wear. It was cold out so I put on a giant bulky red sweater and jeans. I hoped he wasn’t taking me somewhere fancy but I doubted it since it was so late at night. During dinner I had started feeling a little sick to my stomach and I hoped that it wouldn’t get worse while I was out with Ji-Yong. I looked in the mirror and my face looked red. _Crap! I think I’m getting sick. That’s all I need right now! I wonder if I have a fever?_ I couldn’t tell. Now that I thought about it, I felt a little dizzy and my sight was blurry. _I have a fever! Maybe I should cancel._ I frowned to myself. I didn’t want to cancel. This was the highlight of my whole day! _I just won’t kiss him,_ I thought.  
I laid on the couch and waited for his text. It never came but the bell rang. I got up, surprised that he would come all the way to the door, and watched him on the monitor. He looked more nervous than Jong. I also waited a minute so that I could admire the beauty that was Kwon Ji-Yong. He was dressed in a light blue t-shirt and jean jacket. I was glad it was going to be a casual evening because I was really starting to feel sick.  
When I opened the door, Ji-Yong had the biggest smile on his face. “Hello beautiful!” He stepped in, put his arms around me and consumed me with an overpowering kiss. _Well, so much for that plan!_ I thought. “Mmmm…. You taste of something odd,” he said. He licked his lips.  
“I do?” I was nervous so I breathed into my hand to smell my breath. It did smell odd.  
“Did you have almond salad for dinner?” he asked.  
“No, but maybe the pasta I ate had almonds,” I said. _Wait! Didn’t Jong say something about almonds?_  
Ji-Yong touched my cheek. “Did you just get back? Your cheeks are all rosy. You don’t feel cold thought,” he said.  
“I think I might be getting a little sick,” I said.  
“We don’t have to go if you don’t feel well,” he said and held me out to look at my eyes.  
“No, no. I want to go. Let me get my scarf and my purse,” I said. Now that he was here, I really wanted to spend time with him.  
“You don’t need your purse. Just you. I’ll take care of everything else,” he said and smiled. I liked the sound of that. I put my phone in my pocket and grabbed my scarf.  
  
I was surprised by Ji-Yong yet again when we pulled into the parking lot of a children’s play park. It was closed at night and there weren’t many lights so we were basically making our way around swings and slides and ladders in the dark.  
“I want to share something with you that I’ve never shared with anyone else” he said. “Please don’t laugh at me.”  
“Ji-Yong! I would never laugh at you!” I wondered if he really meant the things he said or if they were well rehearsed and he was actually a bigger player than Jong!  
We came to a big merry-go-round and he sat down. I stood in front of him and he put his warm hands around my cold ones and looked up at me. Sometimes he looked like a little boy. “Sometimes I come here alone at night and ride the merry-go-round and write songs,” he said. “I want you to see how beautiful the stars are when you are spinning.” He stood up and pointed to the spot he had just left. “Lay down,” he said.  
I did as he commanded. The metal was extremely cold, even through my clothes. I shivered just as Ji-Yong looked over at me. He took off his jacket and laid it over me like a blanket. He was only wearing a t-shirt and I was very concerned.  
“No! You are going to freeze!” I protested.  
“Nah! Not me. I’m always hot,” he said and winked. I laughed. “You’ll need it when you start spinning.”  
It took a second but he got the merry-go-round to start moving and soon he was running. I pulled his jacket closer around me and it smelled amazing. He jumped on and laid down with his head touching mine. He wasn’t wrong about how beautiful it was. The stars made different colored streaks in circles.  
“I was right wasn’t I?” he asked.  
“It is so beautiful Ji-Yong. Thank you so much. I love it,” I said.  
“It’s very inspirational. I wrote an entire album just laying here,” he said.  
All of a sudden, my stomach lurched. A pain shot through me and I couldn’t breath. I had to gulp for air. Ji-Yong didn’t notice. After a moment, it stopped and went away. Ji-Yong got off when the merry-go-round slowed down. Instead of starting it again, he looked down at me.  
“You look really sexy laying there,” he said.  
“Do I?” I teased.  
“Mm-hmm. I have an idea,” he said and climbed back on. “May I?” he asked and pulled on my scarf.  
“Okay,” I said and lifted my head so that he could take the scarf off. I looked at him strangely.  
“Trust me,” he said and smiled. I did. At first. Until it started getting weird. He tied one end of the scarf to my wrists and bound them together. Then he pulled the other end tight and tied it to the ride until my arms were over my head and I was stuck. “That’s perfect,” he said. Getting off the ride, he started pushing it again until it was going faster than before. He jumped back on and made his way to me, straddling me and leaning down to kiss me. It was a slow very sensual kiss. He ran his hands up my arms and back. I was starting to get into it when the pain came back. I gasped and he pulled back.  
“Are you okay?” he asked.  
I couldn’t answer because I couldn’t breath. The pain was worse than before. It felt like someone was stabbing me over and over. Ji-Yong hurriedly untied the scarf and I barely made it to the side of the merry-go-round when I threw up. It looked like I had thrown up black tar but when he shined his phone light on it, I had thrown up blood. A lot of blood. The pain hit again and I cried out as I threw up more blood.  
“I’m calling the paramedics,” he said.  
I couldn’t sit up. Ji-Yong sat with me and I could tell he was scared. He didn’t know what to do. “I’m sorry. Is this my fault?” he asked.  
I shook my head and threw up again. The pain was worse and I started to cry.  
The paramedics came and Ji-Yong rode with me to the hospital. The men did the things they had to do and Ji-Yong held my hand. He bent over and whispered in my ear, “Well, that almost got very hot!”  
Even through the pain I had to laugh. He kissed my cheek.  
When I got to the hospital, he had to stay in the waiting room while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me. I thought I knew what was wrong with me, I was dying. Someone had tried to kill me and I would bet my life that it was the same person that stabbed my Marco.


	20. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Twenty:: I'm getting used to this misery (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth tries to overcome being poisoned.

I was going to have to stay in the hospital for a while, overnight for sure, so I talked Ji-Yong into going home. He didn’t want to but I was just going to be laying here with an I.V. and getting a blood transfusion an honestly, I was exhausted. I just wanted to go to sleep. He kissed me and told me he’d be back in the morning.  
Every time I started to drift off to sleep, I was disturbed by someone coming in to talk to me. The police had a lot of questions. Most of them I couldn’t answer. They also told me that I couldn’t have visitors until they decided I wasn’t in danger. That included Ji-Yong which I thought was ridiculous but they didn’t.  
I had finally gotten to sleep when there was a giant commotion in the hallway that woke me up. There seemed to be a scuffle of some sort going on and I could have sworn I heard Zico’s voice. It sounded like he was yelling, “I just need to see her! I just need to make sure she is okay. Just let me in for five fucking minutes! I’m not the one trying to kill her for Christ’s sake!”  
The closer the voice got, the more sure I was that it was Zico. _Why would he be here and how did he even know?_ Then my phone buzzed. It was a message from Zico. I started to open it when my phone began to ring. It was Alicia. I answered it.  
“Hello?” I couldn’t believe how slurry my voice sounded.  
“Is he with you?” She asked with no explanation.  
“Who?” I asked.  
“You know damn good and well who I’m talking about! Don’t play with me little girl!” She sounded furious.  
“If you mean Zico, then yes. He’s right here.” I couldn’t help myself. No way was I going to miss this opportunity.  
“Put him on the phone!” she yelled.  
“Ummmm….” I thought out loud. “Nah.” Then I hung up. _I wish so badly that I could see the look on her face!_ I opened the text.  
 _Zico:_ **What is going on? I was told you were throwing up blood! Did Ji-Yong give you something? Did you take anything? I’m coming up there!**  
I texted back. _Elizabeth:_ **Go home Zico. I’ll be fine. I won’t be able to work for the next few days but I’m sure Alicia won’t mind picking up the slack. She hasn’t minded so far!**  
I smiled to myself and more quickly than I had imagined, I got another text. _Zico:_ **I’m not going anywhere! They said they think you were poisoned. Did Ji-Yong give you anything to take?**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **It isn’t him, Zico. He takes very good care of me. You don’t have to stay.**  
I laid my phone down and it buzzed again.  
 _Zico:_ **I told you, I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!**  
 _Elizabeth:_ **Alicia’s looking for you and she sounds pissed. You had better go home.**  
My phone had been ringing nonstop so I put it on silent and ignored it. Apparently Zico wasn’t answering her either because she kept calling me. I really didn’t need any of this right now. Especially from those two!  
My phone vibrated. _Zico:_ **I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL I SEE YOU!**  
 _My Lord what a drama queen!_ I didn’t answer. I turned my phone off and went to sleep.  
  
The doctor woke me up hours later and my transfusion was done. My arm hurt so much that I couldn’t lift it.  
“Good morning, Elizabeth. I hope you are feeling better,” said the doctor.  
“A little,” I said and tried to push myself up in the bed. I could only use one arm and I was still groggy so it was a hard task to perform.  
“Here, let me help you,” he said and walked over to push a button to raise the back of the bed. He stepped back again and waited for me to get settled before he spoke again. “We now know that you were poisoned. Whether it was intentional or not, we can’t say…” he began.  
“It was intentional,” I interrupted.  
“Can you tell me why you think so?” he asked.  
“Well, my body guard was almost stabbed to death but we are pretty sure that I was the target.”  
“We found a large dose of Cyanide in your blood. Usually this type of poison is ingested. Did you eat anything unusual or did anyone give you anything to eat or drink? It could even have been a small piece of candy.”  
I thought about it. I had eaten with Jong but I didn’t think he had an opportunity to poison my food. It would have had to have come from the kitchen.  
“It probably would have been early in the day,” he said. “It would have taken a while for the poison to take effect so maybe breakfast?”  
I didn’t remember having any breakfast the day before but I did remember something odd. “There was one thing,” I said. “Someone gave me a soda at the broadcast station. That was odd in itself but what was even stranger was that it was in a glass with ice. They gave Jaehyo a sealed can.”  
“That may have been it. It sounds suspicious and you need to tell the police when they question you today. I would like for you to stay here for the next two days just so that we can monitor your heart and make sure there are no lingering effects. You will also be very tired so I want you to get some rest. Now, there is a young man who is waiting to see you. Shall I send him in?” The doctor smiled.  
It made my heart skip a beat to think of seeing Ji-Yong. _How sweet was it that he came so early?_ I thought. “Yes, Please send him in,” I said and smiled.  
“Okay. But only for a few minutes. You need your rest so you can build your strength back up. He’s been here all night and the nurses are getting a little irritated by him I think,” said the doctor. He laughed and patted my knee and then he left.  
I tried to straighten my hair out some and clean the sleep from my eyes. I guess it didn’t matter much. I mean he had seen me throwing up blood. How much worse can it get than that. Then I thought, _All night? I thought he went home._ That’s when it struck me. It wasn’t Ji-Yong.  
Zico raced into the room like the place was on fire. “Oh my God! Are you okay” He made it to the bed in three strides and put his arms around me.  
“Zico, you’re choking me,” I said. My voice was muffled because Zico’s arm was squeezing my head.  
“I’m sorry,” he said and let go. He pulled a chair noisily over to the bed and sat down. “I was just so scared. They wouldn’t let me in and I had to see you for myself to make sure that you were okay!”  
“Have you been eating peanuts?” I asked.  
“What?” he asked confused.  
“You smell like peanuts,” I said.  
He laughed and put his forehead against my hand. “That’s your question?”  
I laughed too. Then I remembered something. “They said I tasted like almonds,” I said.  
“They? Tasted? Who tasted you?” asked Zico.  
“Jong and Ji-Yong, “ I said. I was deep in thought and didn’t notice the horrified look on Zico’s face.  
“Jong and Ji-Yong? Tasted you? AT THE SAME TIME? WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU LATELY?” Zico yelled and stood up.  
It unsettled me a little. “Sit down please. And calm down. No! Not at the same time. I had dinner with Jong…” I started to say.  
“And you had Ji-Yong for dessert?” He asked and sat back down.  
“No,” I said curtly. “I had creme brulee for dessert. But when Jong kissed me, he said I tasted like almonds. Then later, Ji-Yong said the same thing.”  
“You’re seeing both of them?” he asked not looking at me.  
“Yes, I am dating both of them,” I said.  
“Are you sleeping with both of them?” he asked and this time looked into my eyes.  
“Not that it’s any of your business but no, I’m not that big of a slut. I’m not sleeping with either of them,” I said.  
“That’s a lie,” he said.  
“Actually, it’s not. What happened the other night was a mistake I made as the result of another mistake I made, that being taking Ecstasy. If I do decide to start sleeping with one of them, I’ll break it off with the other. Now, that wasn’t my point. The almonds were the point. I can’t remember which poison it is but one of them smells like bitter almonds,” I said.  
“Cyanide. I overheard the doctors talking and they said you ingested a significant amount of Cyanide,” Zico said. He kissed my hand. “I’m getting you a new bodyguard.”  
“Why? So he can be stabbed too?” I asked.  
“No! So you won’t be! What makes you think this person is going to stop at poisoning? You know it’s some crazy fan and those people never give up!” he said.  
“I’m not so sure,” I said.  
“What do you mean? Who else could it be?” he asked. He looked like a little boy when he became concerned.  
“You know what Zico, I’m really tired and I’d like to go to sleep now. Thank you for checking on me. That was sweet. I’ll let you know when I can come back to work.” I patted his hand and tried to pull mine back. He squeezed harder.  
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.  
“Why? There’s nothing you can do, as hard as that is for you to accept,” I said.  
“What is THAT supposed to mean?” he asked.  
“Nothing, Zico. I’m going to sleep now. Do whatever you need to do to make you happy,” I said and closed my eyes. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. The last thing I felt before I fell into unconsciousness was Zico’s lips on mine.  
  
When I woke up, my body felt like it was full of cement. It was hard to move. I looked over and saw that Zico was asleep on the little sofa against the wall. I couldn’t believe he actually stayed. I reached over and grabbed my phone to turn it on. I wanted to see if Ji-Yong had called. When it came on, it went crazy. I had one hundred and twenty-eight missed calls. I also had ten text messages. I looked through the calls and almost all of them were from Alicia. She must have called all night. I’m sure I had voice mails and I would wait to listen to them. I also had calls from Jong, Ji-Yong, and Jaehyo. My sister called so I sent her a text to reassure her that I was fine. I ignored Alicia’s calls but I sent a text to both Jaehyo and Jong to let them know that I’m okay. Then I called Ji-Yong. I should have read the texts first because he was doing a radio show but instead of getting mad, he put me on speaker and introduced me as his little woman. I even blushed over the phone. I talked to Ryeowook who was very sweet and teased Ji-Yong a lot and then I was promised a visit later while the other members made a lot of hooting noises.  
I hung up smiling like crazy.  
“What was that about?” Zico’s scratchy voice surprised me. I had almost forgot he was there.  
“Just talking to Ji-Yong,” I said.  
“How are you feeling?” he asked and came back to sit beside me again.  
“Well, I feel like crap actually,” I said. “My head hurts, my stomach hurts, and it’s hard to lift my arms.”  
Zico held my hand again and kissed it. “Is there anything I can do?”  
“Why are you here, Zico?” I asked. I knew it sounded rude and mean because he was being so sweet but I wanted to know why he was being so sweet now! Especially after what he did to me the last time we were together.  
“Because I want to make sure you are okay and that no one tries to come in here and hurt you before I get you another bodyguard,” he said. He sounded hurt.  
“Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. Thank you,” I said.  
“I haven’t given you much reason to be nice to me. I don’t blame you and I don’t deserve it,” he said and held my hand against his cheek.  
“Are you feeling guilty because you feel like this is your fault? Because it’s not,” I said.  
“I do feel guilty. For so many things.” He closed his eyes and put his lips against my hand.  
I closed my eyes too. _If only Alicia Wright had stayed gone! God I hate her!_ We sat there quiet for a while. Zico was the only one that I could have a comfortable silence with. There was a noise at the door and when I looked up, my heart stopped. Standing in the doorway was my Marco! He looked a little odd but it was him! I couldn’t speak and I lost my breath. He looked healthy and as good as new. Tears sprang to my eyes and I wanted so bad to get up and go to him but I couldn’t move. All I could do was whisper, “Marco?”  
“Miss Elizabeth?” he asked. His voice was different. _Had they cut his voice box?_  
“You’re supposed to say Polo,” I said just a touch louder than before.  
“I’m sorry. I guess you didn’t know and this must have shocked you,” he said. He was speaking perfect English. “I’m Kim Hwan. I’m Marco’s brother and I’m here to be your bodyguard in his place. He made me promise that if anything ever happened to him, I would protect you with my life.”  
I was shaking. He was right about it being a shock. I didn’t know that Marco had a brother, much less a twin. They were almost identical but not quite. I noticed that Hwan was a little thinner but not much. He also didn’t have Marco’s snazzy gold tooth. And he spoke English! I couldn’t help but cry. “I’m sorry Hwan. It really is a shock. I didn’t know about you and I pray everyday that my Marco will wake up and come back to me so when I saw you I thought…” I drifted off.  
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t know how to get a message to you and you didn’t answer my calls or my texts,” said Hwan.  
Zico just kept looking from me to Hwan with his mouth open. Apparently he didn’t know about him either. “This is perfect! You need a bodyguard and…”  
“No, Zico!” I stopped him. I will not risk someone else getting hurt for me,” I said.  
“With all due respect Miss Elizabeth, to say no would be to go against the wishes of my brother. I can tell you that you were the most treasured thing in Marco’s life. He loved you as much as he loved his family and no one loved their family more than Marco,” said Hwan.  
“Please stop talking about him like he’s gone. He’s coming out of that coma. And Marco is my family too. If I let the same thing that happened to him, happen to his brother, I couldn’t live with myself,” I said.  
“In any case, this is what he wants. If it makes you feel better, I’m a better bodyguard than Marco. I’m a better shot and I know martial arts moves that he could never master. You would be just as safe with me. I promise,” he said.  
It was strange to hear perfect English coming from someone who looked just like Marco. I didn’t want to go against what Marco thought was best. “Okay. But promise me one thing,” I said.  
“Anything,” he said.  
“Promise you won’t get hurt like Marco,” I said.  
He hesitated and was about to say one thing but after looking at me for a moment he said, “I promise. I’ll be standing just out here if you need anything,” he said and left.  
Zico looked at me and said, “Well, that worked out perfect.”  
“No it didn’t, Zico! Now Marco 2.0 is going to get hurt and it’s going to be my fault!”  
“Marco 2.0? Well, I’ll feel a lot better knowing he’s looking out for you. He’s not wrong about Marco. That man would have died for you. And almost did,” said Zico.  
“Will you do me a favor please?” I asked Zico in the sweetest voice I could muster.  
“Of course,” he said.  
“Will you go check on Marco for me?”  
He started shaking his head before I got the question out. “Nope! I’m not leaving this room,” he said.  
“But I have Hwan to watch out for me and I need to know how he’s doing. Please? Pleeeeease?” I begged.  
“He’s the same Elizabeth. He hasn’t moved,” said Zico.  
I cried. “But someone needs to say ‘Marco’ to him so that he can say ‘Polo’.” Zico was still shaking his head. “It’s going to work one of these days Zico! It’s going to wake him up! Please? For me?”  
“It’s not going to work, Elizabeth! The doctor said he was probably never going to wake up. His brain waves are slowing down and the machine is breathing for him now.”  
I didn’t know any of that. I felt like I had been stabbed in the heart. Pressure started filling my head and I began hearing a high pitched squealing sound. Barely a whisper came from my mouth when I asked, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”  
“Because sweetheart, we know how much you love Marco and how much hope you are holding that he will come out of it. I’m so sorry but he’s not coming back. He tried. They said he was fighting so hard and whenever you would visit, his brain waves picked up. He knew you were there,” said Zico.  
I sat up. “I have to go to him! Get a wheelchair for me, Zico. I don’t think I can walk that far,” I said as I pushed back the blankets and swung my legs over the side of the bed.  
Zico pushed me back into the bed and I didn’t have the strength to fight him. I tried anyway. “Please, Zico! I have to go. You have to help me. I can bring him back. He needs me!” I kept pushing at Zico’s hands but he had no trouble holding my hands down to my sides.  
“Listen, I’ll go to him if you’ll lay here and be a good girl,” he said.  
“You will?” I asked.  
“Yes, but you have to lay here and wait for me. Don’t get out of this bed. Promise?” He looked into my eyes as if I were a child that he were scolding.  
“I promise. Thank you, Zico. Thank you so much,” I said.  
“You’re welcome. Now, calm down and I’ll be back in a minute,” he said and started for the door.  
“Zico! Wait! You have to say ‘Marco’ okay? You have to. One of these days he’s going to wake up and say ‘Polo’ but only if he hears his name. Okay?”  
“I promise,” he said and left. I lost it. I started crying the kind of cry that starts silently from the inside and comes out as a wail and doesn’t stop for a long time. I rolled over and pushed my face into the pillow and screamed.  
After about fifteen minutes, I didn’t have a tear left in my head to cry. I knew my face was swollen and red and I felt like I was going to be sick. Zico came in, took one look at me, and climbed into the bed beside me. He pulled me tight against him and wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair. “It’s going to be okay sweetheart. I said his name and told him that as soon as you were feeling better that you would come and sit with him. Actually, the monitor jumped a little when he heard your name. I just thank God that it isn’t you laying in there. It probably wouldn’t be. You couldn’t have taken what he did and lived. I would have lost you forever. I owe Marco my life.”  
“I love him, Zico,” I said.  
“I know. He loves you too,” he said and tightened his hold on me. “I love you.”  
It felt so good to be in his arms again. To hear him say he loved me. I closed my eyes and let myself drift off as Zico breathed into my hair.


	21. Dressing Zico:: Chapter Twenty-One:: I wanna hugs and kisses (18+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth gets a special "Welcome Home" from Ji-Yong...

Zico stayed with me in the hospital the entire time. He looked even more exhausted than I felt. He left once to call Alicia and apparently it hadn’t been a good call. He was in a very foul mood for hours after he talked to her.   
Ji-Yong came to see me three times but he didn’t stay long. I think he was uncomfortable with Zico watching us and he was very busy with Big Bang as well. They were promoting a new single and he had a lot of events to attend. I didn’t mind. I understood how all this worked.   
Kim Hwan stood guard for me the whole time. Every time I saw him, my breath caught in my chest. I would have to get him a gold tooth and an earring.   
Finally, it was time to leave the hospital and I felt much better. The poison was mostly out of my system and the doctor told me I would be tired for a little while but that I would be back to normal in a week or two. Zico insisted on driving me to my hotel suite which was when he realized I had moved. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t known until now.  
“How long have you been here?” he asked.  
“I moved in the day that I was poisoned. I haven’t even gotten to sleep here yet,” I said.  
“You didn’t have to move,” he said.   
“I really did, Zico. There were too many bad memories there holding me back. I needed a new start. I thought my life was going to be one way but it changed so I needed to change too,” I told him.   
“I understand. Can I walk you up?” he asked.  
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Thank you for being so sweet and helping me through this. I would say that I hope it doesn’t cause problems between you and Alicia but I really hope it does. Sorry,” I said.  
He looked at me in disbelief and then we both laughed. He took my hand and kissed it and said, “If you need anything, ANYTHING, call me.”  
“Thank you,” I said and left the car.

Before I made it to my suite, I got a call from Jong.   
“I heard you were going home today,” he said. “Need company?”  
“That is sweet Jong but I really just want to lay around today,” I said.  
“We could lay around together,” he said.  
“That’s okay. I kind of want to be alone for a while. I’ve had people around me constantly for days now and I need some me time. Maybe we can get together tomorrow?” I asked.  
“Sure. I understand. I’ve just missed you. I’m glad you’re alright,” he said.  
“Thank you, Jong. I’ll call you tomorrow.”  
“Bye.”  
I made it to my suite, shut the door, and breathed a sigh of relief. I was finally alone. I wanted to take a bath, make some lunch, and crash in front of the television. Which is exactly what I did. I laid in an unlady like position, propped up on three cushions with my leg up on the back of the couch. It was very comfortable. I slurped my noodles and made a mess. I watched weird things on t.v. that I would never admit to. It was glorious to just be alone and to do whatever I wanted for a change.   
My cell rang and I debated on whether to answer or not. I watched it vibrate on the table. I reached over to see who it was and accidentally hit the answer button. I still took time to see who it was before I answered it. I heard, “Uh, hello?” and knew that it was Ji-Yong before I saw his name.   
“Hey there!” I said enthusiastically.  
“How are you feeling? They said you went home,” he said.   
“I’m much better. Thank you for asking. What are you doing?” I asked.   
“Well, I was hoping I could come by for a while and take over Zico duty,” he said. He sounded very sarcastic.  
“I’m sorry about that. It’s easier to let Zico do what he wants than to fight him on everything. When he gets an idea in his head, you can’t change it for anything,” I said.  
“I’m glad someone was looking out for you since I had to work. Would it be okay if I come by? I’ll bring sweets,” he said. I could hear the smile when he talked.   
“Of course you can. Anytime. Hope you don’t mind that I’m in my pajamas being a slob,” I said.   
“Can’t wait to see that!” he said. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”  
“Alright, bye,” I said.   
I knew I had told him I was being a slob but I still went into the bathroom and brushed my hair and made sure I looked presentable. He was worth it. I was very excited. It surprised me that my heart was fluttering at the thought of seeing Ji-Yong again. It wasn’t like it was the first time I was seeing him but my heart always jumped like it was the first time. I straightened the room a little and then the doorbell rang and I jumped. That was fast!   
When Ji-Yong came in, he was carrying a box of donuts in one hand and about fifty balloons in the other. He was grinning from ear to ear. I closed the door and he sat the donuts down and let go of the balloons. They scattered around the room and hung at different heights. It was like being in the middle of a party.   
Still without a word, he took me in his arms and put his mouth over mine. It was a kiss that made me dizzy and took my breath away. His hands slid up and down my back and came to rest on either side of my bottom. Without moving them, he pulled back with a huge smile and said, “Damn! You are so sexy with those P.J.’s on!”  
I blushed and smiled and looked away in ecstatic embarrassment.   
“How are you feeling?” he asked. His big brown eyes were so warm and sexy that they were almost hypnotizing.   
“A lot better now,” I said.  
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he said and started looking around the room. He must have found what he was looking for because he smiled down at me. He kissed me again and began moving me backwards toward the bedroom. There were a limited number of doors but they all looked the same and yet somehow he knew this one was the bedroom. Without breaking the kiss, he opened and closed the door and laid me back on the bed. I didn’t know if I should let this happen but I thought I was going to. I really wanted it to if I was being honest with myself.   
He undid his tie and after he slowly pulled it off, he gently wrapped it around my neck. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off as he kissed me. He also unbuckled his pants. He reached around my back and undid my bra and in one movement he removed my shirt and bra and his mouth immediately found one of my nipples as his hand squeezed my other breast. I gasped at his forcefulness and lost myself. I began to struggle to push his pants down so he helped me and then he removed mine. We were finally skin to skin and I was on fire for him. I didn’t just want him inside of me. I needed him.   
I reached down and found that he was already hard. His skin there was so soft and the contrast was very pleasing. When I wrapped my hand around him there, he cried out a little and bit into my breast.   
Ji-Yong’s mouth found mine again and he took the tie from around my neck. He was doing something above my head that I couldn’t see and then he looked down at me and laughed a little. It was a very sneaky laugh. He took both of my hands and put them over my head, looping the tie around my wrists until he had tied them tight to the headboard. I pulled at them and found that I was completely at his mercy.   
“What are you going to do with me now?” I asked teasingly.   
“Whatever I want,” he said. I shivered. He stood up and just looked at me. “I like seeing you this way.”  
I was blushing so hard. I have never been very comfortable with my body but Ji-Yong looked at me like I was something he wanted to devour. I quit worrying about me and started admiring him as he walked around the bed like a stalking lion. His tattoos were calling out to me. They needed to be licked and I was willing to do the honors. “Something is missing,” he said and began looking around the room. I watched as he took my scarf down from where it hung and brought it over to me. He let it dangle close to me and then let it softly float over my skin so that it tickled just a little and gave me chills.   
When he was done teasing me with it, he rolled it up and wrapped it around my head, covering my eyes so that everything went black and all I could do was listen to him moving around the room. My breathing sped up as I listened. I felt him get onto the bottom of the bed and begin moving toward me. I jumped a little when he took one of my feet into his hands and then I felt his breath on the bottom of my foot. He put a couple of my toes in his mouth and gently sucked on them. I always thought that would be weird but it was amazing. It was sensual and erotic and made me tingle.   
Pulling them out slowly, he flattened out his tongue against the arch of my foot and moved his mouth around to bite down a little. I couldn’t believe the feeling it gave me. As he moved his tongue slowly up my leg, I shivered and began to squirm. And when his mouth reached just above my knee, I squealed a little. His mouth left my leg and I felt his breath come out in little puffs against my thigh as he laughed softly. He nibbled just above my knee and moved slowly up and around my leg until his mouth was just below my wetness.   
Not being able to see him and waiting for his next touch was driving me crazy. He had paused where he was and I had no idea what he was doing. A part of him began touching me between the legs and I instinctively opened up to him a little. All of my concentration was centered on that area as I tried to decide which part of him was beginning to explore me intimately. When I felt a trail of wetness I knew it was his tongue. The movement was slow and deliberate and when his tongue reached the top of my opening, he stopped. Then with a sudden push, his tongue widened and ran down and into me. I squealed and jumped but he put his hands around my hips and held me there as his tongue moved fast and expertly in and out of me. I had never experienced anything like it. It only took a few seconds for me to fall over the edge. It was the hardest I had ever come and I writhed and screamed but he continued to push his tongue in and out of me. Then I experienced something else new when I came again and it was even more powerful than the first time. I was dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out. My whole body was zinging and hot.   
Finally, he moved away from me and I could feel him get off of the bed. I was trying to catch my breath and I couldn’t stop moving. It was extremely wet between my legs. Ji-Yong put a finger between my lips and opened my mouth. He put a silky cloth in my mouth and wrapped something new around the back of my head and strung it between my teeth. He tied it tight.   
“We can’t have the new neighbors thinking we’re having kinky sex in here,” he said and laughed.   
When I was gagged, he moved away. I could tell he was stalking around the bed and looking at me again. “You really need to be tied to the bed more often,” he said. “It’s very becoming.”  
Without getting onto the bed, he pushed my legs wide open. Something was being tied around my right ankle and then it was being gently yanked on as he did something at the foot of the bed. Then he did the same to my left leg. When he was done, I pulled a little and found that my legs were tied to the bed and I couldn’t close them. This was the most vulnerable I had felt since Jack and Red had tied me up. I was completely at the mercy of G-Dragon. I think that when he was like this, he was no longer Ji-Yong and that his true Dragon had emerged. This was what G-Dragon did best. And no one knew it. They all thought his best was entertainment but they were wrong. He was a sexual Dominant and he was very good at it.   
My body was still zinging but now it was because I was in the hands of this man. All of my decisions and choices had been taken from me and now I was G-Dragon’s plaything. He could leave me this way and I couldn’t escape. He could hurt me if he was so inclined. He could also take whatever sexual pleasure he desired and leave me a limp, rung-out, but satisfied mess. I was happy to find that he had decided on the latter.   
I felt him move onto the bed and begin to hover over me. I imagined his tattooed body inches above mine as he found joy in just looking at me tied up and completely his. His lips brushed my cheek. His tongue swept across my neck and he bit down slightly. A gasp escaped from me. His tiny kisses led down to my breasts where he took special care and time with each one. First gently sucking on one nipple until it stood up tight and tingling. Then he moved to the other and scraped his teeth over the sensitive area and it became as hard as the other one. He flattened out his tongue and flicked it over my nipples until a new wetness replaced what had been left between my legs from before.   
It was exciting not knowing what was going to happen next. I should have known but it still surprised me when I felt his hot hardness pushing against my tender wetness. I became still and quiet as all of my attention was on the part of me that was becoming slowly filled with him. Inch by slow inch he pushed into me and then would pull back a little. It drove me insane. I heard myself begin to whine as all of a sudden I wanted all of him deep inside me. He must have felt the same way because he stopped his teasing and shoved all the way into me as far as he could go. My back arched as he started moving faster and harder until he was slamming hard into me. I was squealing again with each thrust and I think it inflamed him. It urged him on and he became frenzied. His hands went under my shoulder blades and into my hair. He had two handfuls of soft curls which he pulled with each push. G-Dragon had also started to moan and he got louder as he got closer to his release. I found mine seconds before he did. I felt him give one final thrust deep into me and he cried out as he came hard.   
He was limp as he laid on me, sweating and out of breath. I was the same. After a few minutes, he sat up. All of a sudden the room was uncomfortably quiet.   
“Does someone else live here?” he asked.  
I shook my head.   
“I heard a noise in the living room. Do you have a maid?”  
I shook my head again.   
Then the uncomfortable silence became a flurry of noise. The door burst open and I heard “What in the unholy fuck are you doing to her?”  
It was Zico’s voice.   
“What do you think you’re doing man?” asked Ji-Yong as he jumped off the bed. “Get the fuck out of here!”  
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t say anything. All I could do was listen. And I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  
I don’t know who took the first swing but I heard a thud as someone got hit. That was followed by more hits, things being broken, and the two men cursing at each other. They kept hitting the bed and a few times one or both of them was struggling on the bed between my legs. I couldn’t believe this was happening! _How did Zico even get in here? He doesn’t have a key to this apartment!_   
My life in Korea had been weird from the beginning but this had to be the topper. How surreal was this moment? I was tied to my bed, naked and completely spread open while two major pop stars beat the crap out of each other over me. _How had my life come to this?_


End file.
